Sunday, November 12, 1967

Nov. 12, 1967

San Diego, Cal.

Dear Mother and Dad,

I got your letter along with the correspondence course last Thursday. I got the clothes the same day. It has been a while since I last wrote so I had better try to write a few lines now.

Last weekend, as you know I went up to Georgia Mae's. I got there about 7:30 Friday night. We had given up hope on Bill and were eating supper when he called. I was really glad to see him and I could tell he was glad to get away from there even though it was a short weekend since he didn't get there till about 6:00 Saturday evening. They were sorry that there was not enough time for them to take us anywhere but it was fine just to be able to relax and take it easy. We had plenty to talk about and it was a good weekend as far as I was concerned. Since I have duty on Thanksgiving day I will probably go back up there on the weekend after. I don't know just what Bill's liberty will be then. Sunday evening they took Bill back to Camp Pendelton then brought me on down to San Diego. I took them on the ship and showed them around after we got here.

We left port Monday morning and were suppose to be gone till Friday but we got back a day early on Thursday. This was good and it was planned to give us all day Friday off to commerate Veteran's Day. This didn't strike me to much because I had duty Friday. Well, before we even got in Thursday we were told that the plans had been changed and that we would most likely be going out again on Friday morning for some special operation. Then the news came out about the President coming out here and we were to be one of the ships in the task force with the Enterprise along with about five other ships. Saturday we got back in about 11:00.

Bill was waiting on the pier when we got in. I brought him on the ship and we ate dinner then went into San Diego and spent the rest of the weekend there. He left this afternoon about 2:30 for Pendelton because he had to be back at 5:00. We went out to the zoo and Balboa Park yesterday afternoon. It is really nice out there and quite a change from the downtown district.

I have got a locker for my civilian clothes and Bill is going to put his in with mine when he gets some. I havent wore mine yet but will when I get my next weekend liberty which is the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I hoped you watched the papers closely in regard to the President being here. It would be nice if our ship got mentioned but they probably gave all the publicity to the Enterprize.

I have some more pictures to send home that I took here on the ship and at Georgia Mae's. They should be ready about Thursday. Thank's for sending the picture of David. I haven't forgot what any of you look like but it does help me to remember the ones back home.

The other day as I was looking at one of the newspapers, I just happened to notice the rates for the subscriptions. From what I could tell it is $24 for the year. I think that is rather expensive. If you would, I would rather have you change it to Sunday only. Do what you want to but I wanted you to know what I thought about it. I do enjoy reading all the news even though it may be old news.

If I do make it home on leave, I'll go down to the reserve center and see what I can do about that advancement. If not, I'll just let things take there course and see what happens.

Something else I noticed in the paper. The police department is getting a new radio communications system. I wonder if this will effect our still being able to pick them up on the radios.

As you might notice, some of these stamps are in rather poor shape. When the package came one of the second-class petty officers in the division decided he would be a wise guy and peel them off for me. I let him know that the next time he pulled a stunt like that with any of my mail he would be sorry he did. I kept the ones that wern't too bad. I hope you can still use them. I doubt if it will happen again because I think he got the idea that I meant what I said.

I wonder what you are sending in the package you mentioned in the note. I imagine I'll be suprized and happy to get it.

I have got a course on fire control to help get me ready for the test in case I have to take it again in February. As soon as they get some applications, I am going to take out the courses on electronics. These count as much as three hours credit at junior college level. It costs $5 for the first one and the rest are free. You get to keep the textbooks that they furnish so this is a good deal.

We will be in port for 18 straight days before we go out again. We go out that time then will be here till the middle of January when we leave for West Pac. Bill said that it will be the monsoon season over there then so I imagine we will have some bad weather at sea for a while.

Bill got his liberty Friday at 3:00 so he spent Friday night here in town by himself. He got pulled off of the sidewalk by one of those photographers who take pictures then tell you to come back the next night and see the proofs. Last night we went back to look at them. I think the guy was a little dissapointed to see that Bill brought his older brother back with him. Get this, they wanted $5.25 for a 5x7 black and white. We didn't stay there long. I warned him to stay away from those joints because they are all out to take your money. They don't bother me but they can tell a guy who just got out of boot camp and figure they can take his money.

Tell David to keep up the work in school and before he knows it Christmas vacation will be here. It sounds like he has figured out some good ways to try to get sent home early.

Well, it's about time for the movie on the base to start so I had better close here. Let me here from you again when you have time to write. So long for now.

Your son,

Mike