August 5th 1945 From Cousin Wes Hill-'Hillie' in the Pacific Theater- and Photo from Dad

I have used ? selected large boulders. Best I have ever found anywhere- I took 50 coolies from the street and have trained each one personally in his specific job. They have responded wonderfully. I've only had to discharge 2 because of lack of ambition, or common sense or whatever it takes. The others are splendid and they think I am some kind of superman who has come into their lives.

August 5th 1945

Netherland's East Indies

Daer Luther old Pal

Well how is Occupational Army life treating you? From the sound from your letters it sounds OK. Of course if your like a lot of guys you're just trying to make me envy you. Well indeed I do. 

But don't feel too bad about coming over here. It's not the best but it has a few advantages. you're a guy who likes the open aren't you? Of course chances are they will stick you civilized fighting G.I.s in the cities like in China or where the cities begin to come into view. 

We've done about all the jungle warfare we're going to. The Australias and native soldiers are going to do the mopping up. Yes it's Probably your type of fighting from here on. 

You should have heard the Infantry bitch after fighting here for two years and have to go through Basic Training in Motorize Infantry. They like us over here. 18-20 months with no rest or furlough and no sign of one coming up at that. So we envy you with the thought that you might get a furlough. before coming over. And if you hang over there too long you probably won't come over because it can't last forever. 

I hope they class us in a different quota than you fellows for over here we don't get the points you did.  Boy my score makes me shudder to the side of yours. And I probably be here four mor years at that rate. 

I see you're set for quite awhile with all types of recreation. Here we don't have much, we don't have an outfit big enough...

...to play baseball. That's how action hit us. 60% strength. But we do nicely and well we're too lazy to play ball. We can hunt when we feel we can spare the ammo. Hike. Sleep. Bitch. Go to the village and eat or spread the bull with the girls. See a show if you hadn't seen it before you came in the army once a week, yes, we get a show once a week pretty regular. 6 weeks went by with no show + plus 3 months before that. But then again we have these native Sing Sing and dances which some of the fellows have learned to enjoy. They aren't bad, but me, I have to be really hard up for a good time to sit these out for 5 & 6 hours. And of course the natives have a drink that come from a tree. They call it Saquaya. It tastes like apple cider in a way, but it has a hell of a kick and it's very easy to get drunk on. I've only tasted it so far and that one thing that slips around our Word of Wisdom but I use my own wisdom and leave it alone. It is good though and you don't get a hangover but that's that.
There is a lot of things in the tropics that you wouldn't find on a tour and we are getting in on a few of those things.

I don't know what I'd do for chow if we didn't have all the bananas, pineapple and corn, potatoes and race? that we eat. The chow that comes from the can isn't too hot and not enough variety. And when so called fresh meat comes along we have to throw most of it away cause it's spoiled and what we don't throw away we wait until it's spoiled before eating. It helps clean out your bowels . So I guess we both have our bitches. What's that stuff you call roast beef. I know what beef is. Here we put corn ahead of it but that (roast) has me stumped.

Well I think I better change the subject and write something....

...a little more appetizing.

I sure hate the time of moving when we do for we have for we have dropped in men and doubled in equipment. As men move out of here more ops we do in our area. And now as a radio unit we look like a N.C.S. or to you ? combat station. And for all of us self made operators we're doing OK.

I got me a pet about a month ago. And now it's about where I get the most fun out of him. When I got him he'd take your finger off if he had a chance but now he's as tame as a kitten and will play around like a dog. It's a red, yellow, blue and green parrot about 8 inches high and will talk, swear, whistle, sing, chirp and fight and takes up a lot of my dead time. Right now he seems to like to play with my pen as I write. Yes, nosy as hell at times.

Well I guess there isn't much else to say. I get regular mail from your one and only. She lets me in on a few things. What's going on, on the home front. A lot more than the folks. And tell you the truth, I've told off all of my girl friends, so I don't have too much correspondence anymore and that's the way it goes. I plan to hit an entirely new crowd, a bunch of young girls right out of high school and bring them up the way I want them. Of course if I see a gal like yours along the way I might reconsider.
Well, I better close and call it a day. Hope to see you soon, or not long from now. Want to make any hels?

Your old 'Stand Bail'
Hillie