Excerpts from Letters to Mom in italics.
16 January 1965
I got around to buying airmail stamps so I guess I'd better make use of them. I got a letter from Progin and Schroff this week and I'll try to answer it today or morgen [tomorrow].
I wonder how much it costs to go to state teachers' college and if you can become something other than a teacher with a degree from a STC? It is probably considerably cheaper than anything else and that is my chief obstacle. Perhaps I can scarf up on a TGS (The Great Society) loan to education or better yet - a scholarship. A Senator from Texas introduced a Cold War GI bill that would give me three years aid. However, I blv a similar bill was introduced before but was defeated. There is too much opposition from all sides. Even the Defense Department is against it because it would slash re-enlistment rates. I'm not too hopeful.
I buy a German newspaper several times a week. I wonder if Uncle Shun would like to receive several translated editorials a week from one of the local Zweibarfen papers? If so, I suppose I could take the time to do it. The effort would sure tighten my slipping grasp of the language. Maybe if I would have double-spaced the letter would be longer, but that doesn'ttttttttt help the situation or cheating with stuck keys. As you've probably guessed I've got the duty and it's on a weekend (typewritten letter)… Seeing how the clock crawled around to 1630 hours I'm about ready to end it. Auf wiedersehen, or perhaps till later if I think of anything else at the barracks tonite.
[Continued in handwriting] Sunday Morning, the 17th.
The papers from the Treasury Department contained a 1040A IBM punchcard and a tax table. I got my W-2 from the Navy on payday (15th) and concluded I owe Uncle Sam another $5.90. Sure wish I get some back once in a while. Well, I guess I'll go eat breakfast (alka-seltzer) and go to church (sick call at the NCO club). Only kidding - I already had my alka-seltzer so I'll buy a couple newspapers and order about a half-dozen spiegeleier (sunny side up) [A "spiegel" is a mirror and "eier" is plural for egg.] with a double order toast, milk, juice and a few cups of coffee. Between 0730 and about 1030 I flourish on coffee; the damn Navy runs as much on coffee as water. Don't get me wrong - I like water too. Why I use it to shower every day, I mix it with bourbon, and drop alka-seltzers in it.
I'm currently reading a history of Germany. I've been reading it off and on for over a month and I think I should have it finished in another week or two. I'm surprised how much I like it. Quite interesting. The point I'm at is President Hindenburg appointed Herr Hitler as Kanzler and Von Papen as Vize-Kanzler and the author mentioned that the democracy in Germany is now dead. Gee I wonder what happens next? Seriously, the WWII would probably never have been if the Peace treaty for WWI (Versailles) would have been based on Wilson's 14 Points. So much for history.
23 February 1965
Tuesday evening
I'm on duty again. Since it's after normal duty hours I can wear the more comfortable dungarees. However, all mine except one is ready for the laundry, hence I had to sew three buttons on before coming to work. I'm getting pretty used to sewing buttons, but darning or sewing up socks is something different. A conservative estimate of discarded socks because repairs were needed would approach forty, fifty pair.
Writing to a state teachers college seems like a pretty good idea; I wonder if I'll get around to it. Somehow teaching doesn't appeal, even if it's only two years. Economic opportunities are rather dim in that profession and I doubt if it will brighten considerably in the near future. I can probably find something that appeals just as less with more pay.
For the last couple of years or so, I don't really know exactly, I've worn my hair long. Last week I got a flat-top. It sure feels funny. I can get to work almost five minutes earlier.
Flat top - flat hat. About this epoch when AG2 Fehr was becoming a short-timer, he met an older German gentleman who, upon learning that Fehr was a "matrose" or sailor, confessed that he had a hobby of collecting Naval hats. Steve kindly offered him one of his numerous white "dixie cup" hats, but the collector already owned one. However, the collector divulged that he did need a blue U.S. Navy flat hat to round out his "Versammlung" or collection. Steve promptly jotted down his address and forgot about it.A couple weeks or so later, almost broke and thirsty, he remembered the blue flat hat and wondered how many Deutsch Marks it might bring. The swabbies called the flat hat many things, a Buster Brown, a Donald Duck, and joked about packing it at the top of the seabag while traveling just in case one got a case of diarrhea. Fehr never had an opportunity to don one and decided it was really an unnecessary anachronism. Yes, he would risk ever actually needing to wear it and instead, sell it to the collector for bier money.
Upon approaching the comfortable single family residential home one evening, he climbed the porch stairs and knocked on the front door. An obviously distraught, elderly woman very hesitantly answered the door. Fehr asked for Herr Soandso. She started to cry saying her husband had passed away yesterday. Steve, taken aback, expressed sincere condolences as best he could and explained that he had come to donate his U.S. Navy flat hat to her husband's collection and insisted she keep it.
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I bought a couple pipes last payday. I now have about eight or nine. Payday 'for last I paid out 27 Marks (7 dollars) for a hand-carved Bavarian pipe. It is sort of something to put on the wall, although it smokes well. I don't intend on getting too involved with pipes or purchasing expensive ones, but I'm finding it enjoyable and it helps from biting fingernails.
P.S. Try n take it easy n not work so hard.