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On yeoman duty for 8 ½ hours but didn’t have more than 15 minutes work. Isn’t allowed to use typewriter to write personal letters during work hours. Laundry must be hung properly—whites on the whites line and blues and other colored items on the blues line; explosion in Yorktown on the 16th. Men chop wood for fuel. Most men have more to offer the war effort than his “less brawny and less combat or-construction skilled brains have to give.” Jobs are frequently shifted; lawyers doing mosquito control, insurance work, and lecturing. Would like time to read and listen to music; reads L’il Abner comic strip. Peary is the only boot camp for Seabees in the country. Some Chief Petty Officers aren’t too bright. HR is reading ”The Psychology of the Fighting Man.” Unlike sailors, soldiers can send clothes to a laundry. His promotion to S2C is a “big event.”

Includes a pay stub for Recht to the amount of $119. Calls a show of local talent a display of “hill-billy music;” talks about the nomination of Dewey and Bricker for the Republicans; discusses where the Jews will go after the war, with a possibility being Argentina. Talks more about Dewey and Bricker, and how, even though he has been back only 9 days, it seems much longer. The rumor is that Lt. Crockett is to be transferred out of Camp Peary because of his run-in with a Chief that has better connections; Capt. Ware, the commander of the camp, is fed up with the anti-Seabee sentiment among the regular navy officers on the base; talks about a Supreme Court case about 13 “negro” Seabees being declared unfit. 3 “negro”es have been assigned to the repair unit at Peary. Continues to speculate about the end of the war, talking with his friend Luiz; talks about the difference between Seabees and general service classifications. Takes care of one of his friends who has had more trouble than he adjusting to the service. He is completing his semi-annual report on himself; there is more speculation of Crockett being transferred. Sees the movie “Bathing Beauty,” with Esther Williams. Talks about the substantial gains in the army with regards to race, in comparison to how strict the military is.

Explains his pay stub for June; Had a Fourth of July event, which included a band, a chorus, actors playing presidents, a boxing match, and a wrestling match; considers buying some luggage. A friend of his, Fuss, is trying to get into the psychiatric clinic at Peary, to be a worker; Lt. Crockett is promoted to full Lieutenant; questions the people who thinks war should be ethical and gentlemanly. Crockett is going to help Recht by filling out his report in a way that emphasizes the areas that Recht is the best at; talks about having to turn in his Seabee uniform for regular navy ones, and the loss of comfortable shoes. Reading Rex Warner’s “Return of the Traveller[sic];” notes an anger in the literature of this war that was not present in the literature of WWI. Hears rumors about a friend of his learning Croatian and going to Cairo, and wonders what that means. Is hoping to get a tan for when Esther comes to visit. Talks about “robot bombs” being used by the Germans in Europe; questions who to blame for the war; feels that none of the real problems are being solved by the war; talks about the upcoming presidential campaign. Babysits for Lt. Crockett again; is informed that as of 2 July he has been rerated to S1c.

Tells Esther that he never intends to return to Williamsburg after he is discharged; discuss how he resents those civilians who do not know what the serviceman has given up by being in the military. Thinks that the Democrats are going to drop Wallace as FDR’s Vice President; having the African-American soldiers at the Camp has proved not to be a problem. The newest rumor is that the camp is to be condemned by the medical officers and moved to Ft. Eustis. Learns that there are no longer waivers on commissions, so his eyes must be correctable to 20/20; learns that Lt. Crockett is being replaced by a new Lt., Lt. Kennedy; visits the College Library. Finds out that he will not be commissioned anytime soon, because his eyes are too bad. Talks with one of the camp librarians, learning that many of the political books they used to carry have been removed; sees the movie “The Canterville Mystery;” talks about the mindset of the Germans in using the V-1 rockets; notices Jewish periodicals in the W&M library. Walks around the campus of William and Mary; resigns himself to his low rate and vows to enjoy the reading that he can get done instead; talks about an interview he read with Santayana. Says he feels like writing a book about his experience at Peary. Defends VP Wallace against being a liberal and an unrealistic idealist; dismisses the idea that, if Ester were to come to Williamsburg, she would work at Eastern State Hospital.

Writes a letter on the back of an old Outgoing Dispatch form; has a going-away dinner for Lt. Crockett. Is now reading Willard Price’s “Japan’s Islands of Mystery;” talks about the “German Army leaders revolt,” referring to the July 20 plot; talks about the Japanese home situation. Listens to parts of the Democratic National Convention on the radio; speculates about the relationship between FDR’s interest in the Pope and the US’s official stance towards Loyalist Spain, DeGaulle, and the Italian king. Hears that Truman has won the Vice Presidency nomination from the Democrats. Goes to see the movie “The Mask of Dimitrios;” comments on the factors that he thinks led to the nomination of Truman over Wallace. Talks about registering for classes at the camp, and how most people are using them as a spring-board to being a petty officer; mentions a quote of Churchill saying that the war will be over sooner than previously thought; talks about the possibility of racial problems if the economy goes bad. Keeps getting in discussions with the boys around the barracks about the “negro matter.” Hears from Russian writers grumblings about the lack of progress the Allied armies are making in Normandy. Talks about an oil drought at the camp; talks about the organization of the camp library, and how it is designed to be as uncontroversial as possible.

Is reading a book that provides a different view on Germany than the tradition ‘racist’ notions; talks about the Russians attacking Lwow, the Polish name for Lviv, which is the hometown of Recht’s parents. Reads in the College library about race issues in other camps in the US; talks about the amount of federal lawyers that were appointed; wonders about what will happen in Germany at the end of the war. States that there are good reasons for the Americans hating the Japanese more than the Germans; talks to the new Lt., Lt. Kennedy; complains about the removal of liberal magazines from the PX, but not conservative ones. Talks about his loneliness at the Camp, and how it is not affecting him too much; talks about 10 new African-Americans that have been received to work on the railroad. Talks about the racism that some of the white soldiers have towards the new men; intends to read Virginius Dabney’s books. Reads an editorial by Dabney questioning the reading habits of men in the service; meets with the chief in charge of the Camp library, about the history and future of the said library. Sees the movie “Storm over Lisbon;” talks with his barracks mates about what should be done to the Germans after the war; talks more about segregation in the camp. Talks about the Catholic chaplain’s attempt to get Maugham’s book “The Razor’s Edge” out of the camp library for being anti-Catholic. Mentions a feeling amongst men in service departments that they are not doing enough for the war, unlike the combat units. Reads about the founding of the American Veterans Committee; talks about people complaining about a lack of consumer goods.

Meets a German national who works in the library, and describes his beliefs; sees the movie “Memphis Belle;” in a disconnected page 2, talks about the political climate of America. Hears bad reports of the classes men are taking to prepare for their test for a general service rating; sees “I Love a Soldier.” Talks about how young all the members of his department are. Some Waves are coming to Peary, but he does not know who they will be replacing. Reads a memo that there will be no discrimination in selecting people for advanced schooling; talks about the government’s response to the Philadelphia strike. If officially transferred from Seabees to general service, along with the rest of the people at the camp. Starts with physical training for general service; wonders about the problem of some of the men in his department losing their rating when they get checked for general service.

Sees the movie “Mrs. Skeffington;” is trying to take a more phlegmatic attitude towards Peary, because he expects some day to be transferred, and does not want to get too attached. Cannot keep up with the first batch of physical training. Writes about how he hopes Esther trip home from seeing him was good, after a month long gap in letters. There is a picture of Recht on the letter dated 13 Sept. 1944. Will try to get Camel cigarettes for people back home. Gets the edge of a hurricane that is going through the area. Says that he will get off work for the upcoming Yontif, or holiday days. Almost gets transferred to another department after 4 people in Repairs department get in trouble for taking a car into Williamsburg and getting in trouble with a corpsman; is trying to get rerated to Y3c; sees the “Gypsy Wildcat.” Gets in a new batch of seamen from Pennsylvania, who insist on calling Recht “sir.” Talks about the new chain of command under Lt. Kennedy.

Talks about the Rosh Hashanah services at the camp. Gets a letter from a friend at another camp. Mentions that the camp football team will be playing its games in the College’s football stadium; has a debate with someone in his office about why they are going to vote for Dewey as opposed to FDR; talks about the differing US and British plans for post-war Italy. Hears a rumor of Seabees being shipped to California; is trying to get an absentee ballot. Gets rerated to Y3c. Sees the movie “Kismet;” relates a story of a soldier whose wife had been told she was pregnant, but actually has a tumor. There is a new camp 15 minutes of calisthenics, reduced from 45 minutes. Writes about an unknown pamphlet that appeared in the camp library; talks about the mob of people at the Travis House for dinner after the camp football game; Peary won the football game against a pro team from Washington DC.