Ulithi--Drunken Brawl

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
Tuesday 27 March 1945, 11:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,
     Hello Sweet, here I am again. Did I have a busy morning. Besides a completely appointed morning I had six emergency patients to care for and it was twelve o'clock before I was through.
     After lunch a group of officers went ashore for a little party where some nurses were to be present, but I begged off. At 3:00 PM (I had patients until then), the captain and two other officers came down and insisted I join them and go ashore for the party. We took some steaks, sixty of them to be exact, a gallon of olives, a gallon of pickles, a pound of butter and away we went. Well it was a drunken brawl but I was a good boy and here I am. We just got back and we all had coffee before retiring.
     There was no mail today except a return on my correspondence course and a letter from Mary Regan. Do you remember her? She worked for the Board of Equalization in the Bay Cities Building and was sweet on Leon. Besides that she was a patient of mine, referred to me by Abe Cohen. Anyway she is now in the Coast Guard, stationed in Washington and is momentarily awaiting her orders to Pearl Harbor. She just received my Xmas Card and hence her writing me.
     Outside of that there is nothing new to write about. So considering the time and my present slightly (?) inebriated condition, I'll sign off.
     Good night Sweetheart, I'll be with you again tomorrow. I love you so!

Forever yours,

Gil

The Battle of Iwo Jima ended on Mar 25, 1945. Was the purpose of the party to celebrate?

Dave (Gil's brother-in-law and a Marine) must have clipped this article from the Marine Corps Gazette. The U.S.S. Ocelot was the flag for Squadron 10.