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Goes and visits a small Jewish deli in Newport News with Lew; visits the Navy Yard and explores Newport News some. Talks about coming back to Pittsburgh for October 3 through the 9th. Sees a film about Woodrow Wilson. Hears that the War Department wants 20 lawyers who speak German to go there for the War Guilt trials, but Recht does not wish to apply; fills up a box with towels, long underwear, jello, chocolate, and other things to send to Esther. Hears that they are going to reduce the amount of points needed to get out of the Navy to 40 on November 1, at which point Recht will have 40.5, however, the Navy has been slow at processing these men; might cancel next week’s leave for a longer 10 day leave later. Continues research on insurance companies. Is considering flying home instead of taking the bus. Recht’s department has been busy the past few days, partially because of the scheduling to bring in sailors from Williamsburg to watch the Camp play football against Little Creek; complains that the Navy does not recognize the fact that there are men of college training who would like some more intellectual magazines in the library. Hears about a clothing drive for war-ravages countries and suggests discharged men donate old uniforms. Gets information from the Children’s Bureau, sends some along to Esther and gives the rest to the library.

Takes the petty officer’s test without reading the manual, which talks about nautical terms. Calls in a reservation for Esther to come down November 21 to December 10; finds out that Virginia celebrates thanksgiving a week before the rest of the country; talks more about Esther’s pregnancy; hears that the current freeze on releasing yeomen will expire on January 1. Gets ribbed by some of his friends for writing letters that are too impersonal; talks about some of Esther’s friends encouraged her to leave him when he did not want to have children. Gets a “youngster” that is to begin training for his job, as his replacement. Wonders if he is becoming unusually critical of the Navy of late, with regards mainly to demobilization. Hears a man and his daughter talking about him and the fact that he works in an office, unlike the man’s daughter. Gets a telegram that a man’s newborn and wife are not doing well, and so Recht gets some one to find Lt. Kennedy as he is leaving church to sign the man’s leave form; continues to wonder about what he will do after the Navy. Talks the petty officer’s exam again, and says that it is for the last time, no matter what; talks about how a man got a “dependency discharge,” and how it annoyed the other men. Wants to get some records of lullabies for the baby; sees that Kennedy has put through a request to advance Recht to Y2c; talks about a broken relationship between “Sarah and dad,” which stemmed from the depression years. One of the librarians admits the Recht’s zeal for the library has gotten him excited about it. Gets a package marked express and perishable 11 days after it was sent.

Sees the movie “The Lost Weekend.” Talks with the recreation department sign painter, who had heard about him. Talks about how the morning is not a good time to write to Esther, as all the routine matters must be taken care of first. Changes Esther’s reservation to November 7 through November 24. Goes to see the singer Niles with Lew, and decides that if he does not like it, he can just go to the College library. Hears that the entire camp is scheduled to fold by June 1, although he should be out by then; finds out that his replacement-to-be does some sketching. Brille, the head librarian, returns from how, and Recht says that he will be happy to eat with him and Esther; is still intent on get Planned Parenthood information in the library. Hears that Brille has ordered the book Stork Bites Man, at Recht’s request. Notices that the boot training program has reached its planned peak of receiving 2000 new recruits a week; feels a little under the weather and tries a few different cures for it; takes over Shelor’s job for Thanksgiving while Boilieu, his replacement, takes over his job.

Hears that Dr. Smit will stay on until March 1 and be promoted to Lt. Commander because they need him; talks about how men there are eager for only one thing, being discharged and sent home; hears that administrative heads might want to keep men there longer, to ease the transition. An accident occurs with one of the buses taking recruits from camp to the football game in Williamsburg; reads an article in PM with comments by William Carlos Williams about Ezra Pound. Has to tell men that they are being moved from the department, but leaves that for Lt. Kennedy to worry about. Will come home from 28 December to 8 January. Talks about his pending discharge, which is now definite in the near future, process beginning January 1. Has a steak sandwich with pineapple, the best meat he has had while at the Camp. Hears that the German PoWs are putting on a Sudermann play, Heimat. Reads an article about the disorganization of the Allied occupation of Germany.

Plans what he wants to do with all his Navy clothes after he is discharged. Goes on leave for 10 days back up to Pittsburgh. Is eager, even though his military service was not hard, to return to civilian life. For the first time, when Recht returns to Camp, it is the Camp that now feels far away, instead of his home. Notices that the camp store is slowly reducing its stock, in anticipation of the Camp closing; hears that the man who will be replacing him, Boulieu, has not been up to the task. The child-parent exhibit, for which Recht helped to get information, closed. Talks about a sardine carton lost from Esther’s father’s store. Hears a theory that colds never leave the body, just lay in wait. Thinks about painting their house, and discusses colors; is trying to buy as much as possible before leaving the Camp. Hears about a steel strike, and discusses its impact; talks about the physical one gets when leaving the service. Hears about Brille taking a vacation to Mexico on one of his leaves.

Asks about why one of his friends would not take her job back at the Social Work school. Talks about how he believes slim people are healthier than “persons heavier.” Talks about friends thinking about going to law school, and about how only 180 nylons were sent to the Camp, so he could not buy any. The Camp gets another influx of recruits; talks about someone who is “quite a misfit”; sends some towels to friends back home. Sees “Scarlett Street”; thinks that once he is moved to Induction, for preparation to go home, that he will not come to the office much, but let his replacement find his way. Starts cleaning out his drawers in his office. Needs to think out his positions on “the problem of white-Negro interrelationships.” Arranges with Lt. Sorenson about coming into the office while in Induction, for part of the time; wants to take a vacation after out of the service, but not sure if to take one to New York City or just to rest at their home.

Going to a Burton Holmes film and lecture on Mexico City. Morale is low due to new liberty policy with a 60 mile limit. French and Norwegian sailors are atationed at Norfolk. Refers to family “businesses”[a furniture store—Recht’s Furniture, 534 Miller Avenue, Clairton, Pa-- and a grocery store]. Americans are going to be in for terrible shocks soon. Will be hell when invasion gets going. Air bombing won’t prevent the first-wave men from difficulties. Has read what happened at Salerno, Dieffe, and Tarawa. Russian part of war is much worse. Wife recently saw Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Trial by Jury.” Thinking about applying for officers’ training. Listened to Drew Pearson and Walter Winchell on radio. Greyhound may take over the camp bus lines to Richmond and Washington. Much work is divided among many more men than is necessary. A fellow sailor has a Ph.D. in history and is in charge of one of the small libraries in the camp—he knows several languages but no attention is paid to language qualifications. A colored [his word] company is performing La Traviata in Pittsburgh at end of month with tenor Joseph Lipscomb. The train service from Williamsburg to Richmond is not good,. Chocolate bars are available again. Saw “Destination Tokyo” with Cary Grant. Fellow servicemen amazed at his legal background compared to his rating. He was drafted and has to serve for the duration of the war or the national emergency and 6 months thereafter. Went to a concert in Williamsburg; many servicemen and civilian women. William and Mary students served as ushers. Liked the Brahms sonata and the Jamaican Rumba. Tries to write his wife at least one letter a day but is concerned that he can’t write a sensible letter in smooth flowing English. Wife will try to get a reservation at the Williamsburg Lodge. She should mention his rating-Seaman 2d Class. Fellow sailor hopes to buy up oil leases at his next duty station and resell them to private oil companies at a great profit.. Plans to see “Cry Havoc” with Margaret Sullivan at the “local.” Heard Claire Primrose in an opera in Richmond. Has visited Mexico.

Wants a subscription to Time magazine. Concerned that the general American public doesn’t take the war seriously. Reads the American Magazine—February 1944 issue has the beginning of a novel by Franz Werfel. News story about government program for oil development overseas—Alaska, Burma, India, Persia, and Dutch East Indies are possibilities—private oil interest are opposed. Has never been close to his father—mother is deceased. Unpaved roads have been paved with a hard surface. The Seabees are also in Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. Likes foreign correspondence section of the Christian Science Monitor. Article by Arthur Koestler on war attitudes in the New York Times Magazine. Heard pianist Jose Iturbi in concert. Surprised at the anti-Roosevelt sentiment at the camp. Annoyed that people make their military heros in public administrators and statesmen. Doesn’t like being called by his full first name.

Got in line for phone sat 1:15 pm (46th in line) and reached the phone at 5:15 pm. Clear and sane article on Roosevelt by Eliot Janeway in December 1943 Fortune magazine. Tries to write daily but often feels at a loss as to what to say. Esther’s father owns a store on Burrows Street [ in Pittsburgh.] Several Jewish Seabees—surprised that many are heavy equipment operators. Interested in working in the camp library. May take a course in conversational Spanish.