DIY History | Transcribe | World War II Diaries and Letters | David R. Elder correspondence, February-March 1945 | 1945-03-19 Lt. Gifford Morrison to Dave Elder Page 1

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David R. Elder correspondence, February-March 1945

1945-03-19 Lt. Gifford Morrison to Dave Elder Page 1

[letterhead: U.S.S. Trenton]
March 19, 1945
Dear Dave,
Your letters have reached me with as accurate a degree of regularity as can be expected, and are thoroughly digested. If it weren't for the fact that I am such an indolent person for writing letters, you would most surely have heard from me sooner. Everything in the Navy is run according to a book, and censorship regulations are included therein. Since it has been my job on various and sundry occasions in various and sundry posts in various oceans to draw up specifications enforcing various regulations, I find the problem of letting people know my present whereabouts quite difficult. However, I rationalize this unfortunate situation by saying to myself- "If I can't be home in Iowa where I belong, what is the difference where I happen to be now?" The argumentative capacity of the person who can talk me into doing any travelling after this war is over will have to be tremendous.
My general quarters station on this cruiser is Officer of the Deck, and in the past few months some interesting experiences have ensued, in the course of which I have learned a lot of things. After one bombardment, when we were retiring and had reformed our usual cruising disposition we had secured from general quarters, but I still was in charge of the watch on the bridge. Our captain, who has been in the Navy since the last war,

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[letterhead: U.S.S. Trenton] March 19, 1945 Dear Dave, Your letters have reached me with as accurate a degree of regularity as can be expected, and are thoroughly digested. If it weren't for the fact that I am such an indolent person for writing letters, you would most surely have heard from me sooner. Everything in the Navy is run according to a book, and censorship regulations are included therein. Since it has been my job on various and sundry occasions in various and sundry posts in various oceans to draw up specifications enforcing various regulations, I find the problem of letting people know my present whereabouts quite difficult. However, I rationalize this unfortunate situation by saying to myself- "If I can't be home in Iowa where I belong, what is the difference where I happen to be now?" The argumentative capacity of the person who can talk me into doing any travelling after this war is over will have to be tremendous. My general quarters station on this cruiser is Officer of the Deck, and in the past few months some interesting experiences have ensued, in the course of which I have learned a lot of things. After one bombardment, when we were retiring and had reformed our usual cruising disposition we had secured from general quarters, but I still was in charge of the watch on the bridge. Our captain, who has been in the Navy since the last war,