Dear Members Bryant Service Club

I received your very nice V mail letter of March 14th and was very pleased to hear from you. Although it is a long time since I’ve been at Bryant ten years ago this Spring to be exact is the time I left Bryant to venture out into the world of business. I have had many varied experiences since that time but I am always pleased to learn what is currently going on at Bryant. Before I go any further I want to thank you for the cigarettes that you sent to me for Christmas. Unfortunately they did not arrive to [sic] the latter part of February and they must of [sic] been in a sea battle or something of the sort because they were wet when I received them. However, I got as much enjoyment out of them as though they were in a smokeable condition because it showed that the thought was there and that the heart was in the right place. I think that the work that you have so generously undertaken is a wonderful thing and I sincerely hope that you can see your way clear to continue it.

As you say in your letter several changes have taken place and that I would not recognize the old school. I sure would like to meet you all and look the college over but due to circumstances beyond my control I’m afraid that it will be impossible for me to do so for the present. However if I am fortunate enough to get back I will most certainly pay you a visit.

As for my present location there is not much I can tell you except that I am on a palm studded island in the South Pacific. The flare [sic] is definitely tropical and it sure is hot at times. Yesterday is the first day that we have seen the sun in two weeks. It has rained constantly and when I say rain I mean just that. It seems to come down by the bucket full. Everything we own is either wet, damp or moldy. If you will follow the news closely and look at a large scale map you may be able to figure out where I am. I have seen many interesting things but I am looking forward to the day when I will once again be in the U. S.

We have exciting times here once in a while. The most exciting of all is when Charlie (our name for Jap fliers) pays us a visit. We all scurry for our fox holes and pray that he will not drop any of his eggs on us. We have seen several good dog fights between the Japs and our men and I can tell you that our boys are definitely superior.

Since I last wrote to you I have been promoted to Technical Sergeant. May 6th was the lucky day to be exact. That leaves me just one more grade to go to reach the highest rank I can hold as an enlisted man.

Well, fellow students, I will close thanking you all for your kindness in writing and hoping to hear from you real soon.

Very truly yours,
Louis M. Schablein, Jr.
Class of 1933
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Fellow Students,

I received your very nice letter and also the enclosed copy of the November issue of the Bryant Alumni Bulletin. I was very pleased to hear from you and want to tell you that I think your idea of keeping in touch with former members of Bryant who are now in the service of their country an admirable one.

It is a long time since I have been at Bryant but I have nothing but fond memories and a good education that has been to my advantage on more than one occasion.

I could not help but smile when I read your reference to change of address. I’ll say I’ve had a change of address since I last heard from you. I would like to tell you in detail of the many experiences and adventures that I have had in the past few months but I know that you realize that censorship will not permit me to do so. However, I am at liberty to tell you a little so here goes. At the present time I am located on an island in the Southwest Pacific. This island is very mountainous and French is the language that is spoken. The Franc is the basis of the monetary system and the climate is definitely on the hot side. We have two kinds of seasons here one is the rainy season and the other is the season when it doesn’t rain quite so much. There are two things that we can always depend on and that is that it will be hot and that there will always be a liberal supply of mosquitoes and other insects. The mosquitoes seem to take particular delight in biting my tender flesh and I’m sure that the other members of this command are subject to the same nuisance. There is no entertainment except that which we provide ourselves. However there is one exception and that is the movies. The pictures are generally old and I have seen most of them on previous occasions but I see them again as it helps pass the time.

I found many items in the Alumni Bulletin that were of interest to me especially the reference to Eleanor Eldridge who was kind enough to write to me as a result of your program of writing to men in the service. She has written me many interesting letters which I have enjoyed very much and now that she has joined the W. A. V. E. S. we have something in common. I am sure that she will be a success and a credit to our country.

I don’t imagine that there are many now at Bryant who remember me but I want to wish the best of luck to all of you and please remember me to Gardner Jacobs and to Mr. Lee and Mr. Gulski. I particularly want to thank the person whose initials are N. M. W. and who was kind enough to write your nice letter out in long hand.

Please write again as I enjoy hearing from you and hope that some day when the war is ended I may have the pleasure of once again coming to Bryant and meeting some of you personally.

Thanks,
Louis M. Schablein, Jr.
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Dear Sir:

Once again I wish to thank you and your organization for your very generous gift of Camel Cigarettes. It sure is a pleasure to know that someone is thinking of you and is trying to make your stay in the army as pleasant as possible. I think that this is a wonderful undertaking and you should all be proud of it. Thank you again.

Sgt. Louis M. Schablein, Jr.
Class 1933
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43rd DIV. Finance Office
Camp Shelby, Miss.

May 14, 1942

Dear Sir:

I received your very thoughtful gift of cigarettes. I really appreciate your kindness in sending them and want to thank you very much. It means a lot to a man in the service to know that someone is thinking of him.

I think that your program is an excellent one and will be received with favor by all the Bryant men in service.

I spent many a pleasant day at good old Bryant and hope to visit with you in the future. Thanks again.

Your friend,
Louis N. Schablein, Jr.
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