December 25, 1918

Dec 26 1918

Miss Rose Kraynik,

1336 Michigan Ave.,

Manitowoc

Wisc.

U-S.S. New Jersey.

Dec. 25, 1918

Dearest Friend Rose.-

I received both your letters a few days ago. And sure was glad to hear that you were well again. I know how you must of felt.

This sure is some Christmas for me. I had to get out and work befoure breakfast. we are ancored out in the water about a mile from shore. The weather sure is fine down here. it doesn’t seem like Christmas at all. it is just like summer here. I was just outside and the sun was real warm. I sure can feel the heat on the back of my neck. This morning we got up a six, I went up on the upper deck. The moon was shining bright, There was a warm breeze blowing from the south. Just like is is up home in the summer time.

You talking about being lonesome I sure was rotten lonesome last night. There wasn’t a thing to do nearly every one had gone home for Christmas. There is only a few men aboard ship now. I didn’t know anything else to do so I just scrubed up some clean clothes to pass the time away and forgit where I was.

I havnt gotten hardly any mail sence I got back. Only four letters two from you, and two from mother, she promised to send me a package and so did my Aunt in Chicago.

My mother and the hole famley were sick with the Flue. But now I guess they are all well but mother. And hope she is better by this time.

I hope the girls are there yet and that they go out with you real often so you wont get so lonesome.

We got a band here but they are to lazy to play so we might as well not have any. we got a player piano, and a graphaphone but the peaces get old, I would just as soon not hear any thing.

I havn’t done any real hard work for so long a time I wouldn’t know how to go at it. I have a snap of a job now. I am supposed to be on the job now but am writing instead.

I am going to write as long a letter as I can now and another one just befoure I leave. Next Tuesday we leave for France. And will be a month befour we get back.

We leave Norfolk Tuesday the 31^st of Dec. we arrive in France on the 11^th of Janurary. eleven days on the way over there than we will be there three day’s. We will bring fifteen hundred nigger soldiers back. We won’t be back on this side until the 29^th of Jan.

Well Rose some of the fellows on this ship are lucky. They are getting a fine Christmas. some got discharged yesterday, than there will be another bunch discharged on the 29^th of Dec. just befour we leave.

That sure was a fine present for those fellows. I expect to get mine when I get back. about the last of Janurary.

I hope this will be the last xmas I will ever spend on a battle ship. it wouldn’t be so bad but there isn’t a person I know.

I don’t suppose you have heard from Ida lately? she has a big baby boy now.

Well Rose you said in your last letter that you was going to stay home after June 1919. if that is the case I will do the same. I think I will stay on the farm all the time after I get out of the Navy.

This is about all the trash I can think of. Will write just befour I leave. I do hope you will have three or four letters waiting for me when I get back.

And I do hope you will still be there when I get back. as I want to see you again. I will always remember the day when I met you. And hope that you will never forget me. you don’t know how I feel when I know that I am so far from you and can not get to see you when I want to. I will close for this time. Am well and felling fine, hope this letter finds you the same.

Good-Bye Answer when you can. will close with best love.

Your Friend

Dan