Letter Written by Louis M. Schablein, Jr. to the Bryant College Service Club Dated February 7, 1943

[Transcription begins] Sgt. Louis M. Schablein, Jr. 20126070 Division Hq. Finance Det. 43rd Division A. P. O. #43 c/o Postmaster San Francisco, Cal. Feb. 7, 1943 Fellow Students, I received your very nice letter and also the enclosed copy of the November issue of the Bryant Alumni Bulletin. I was very pleased to hear from you and want to tell you that I think your idea of keeping in touch with former members of Bryant who are now in the service of their country an admirable one. It is a long time since I have been at Bryant but I have nothing but fond memories and a good education that has been to my advantage on more than one occasion. I could not help but smile when I read your reference to change of address. I’ll say I’ve had a change of address since I last heard from you. I would like to tell you in detail of the many experiences and adventures that I have had in the past few months but I know that you realize that censorship will not permit me to do so. However, I am at liberty to tell you a little so here goes. At the present time I am located on an island in the Southwest Pacific. This island is very mountainous and French is the language that is spoken. The Franc is the basis of the monetary system and the climate is definitely on the hot side. We have two kinds of seasons here one is the rainy season and the other is the season when it doesn’t rain quite so much. There are two things that we can always depend on and that is that it will be hot and that there will always be a liberal supply of mosquitoes and other insects. The mosquitoes seem to take particular delight in biting my tender flesh and I’m sure that the other members of this command are subject to the same nuisance. There is no entertainment except that which we provide ourselves. However there is one exception and that is the movies. The pictures are generally old and I have seen most of them on previous occasions but I see them again as it helps pass the time. I found many items in the Alumni Bulletin that were of interest to me especially the reference to Eleanor Eldridge who was kind enough to write to me as a result of your program of writing to men in the service. She has written me many interesting letters which I have enjoyed very much and now that she has joined the W. A. V. E. S. we have something in common. I am sure that she will be a success and a credit to our country. I don’t imagine that there are many now at Bryant who remember me but I want to wish the best of luck to all of you and please remember me to Gardner Jacobs and to Mr. Lee and Mr. Gulski. I particularly want to thank the person whose initials are N. M. W. and who was kind enough to write your nice letter out in long hand. Please write again as I enjoy hearing from you and hope that some day when the war is ended I may have the pleasure of once again coming to Bryant and meeting some of you personally. Thanks, Louis M. Schablein, Jr. [Transcription ends