From Forrest Harris (3/2/1918)

U.S.S. Maine, March 2, 1918.

Dear Father and Mother:

I will drop you a few lines to let you know that I am O.K. and hope you are the same.

I wrote you a letter a couple of weeks ago, and it came back to me. I had my address on the back and the censors wouldn’t pass it. You see all the letters I write now are censored. I wrote one to Russel and got it back also. I suppose you began to think I never was going to write, but we can’t mail letters any day, as there is no way to send them.

We are having movies on the quarter deck tonight.

I got that letter you wrote in January with the clipping in it; that was a pretty bad wreck.

I didn’t get those wristlets you sent, but I got the candy Russel sent, and it sure was fine.

I haven’t been ashore for about a month and a half now. That’s quite a while, don’t you think?

I am trying to be a cook now; I have been cooking about six weeks, and I like it pretty well. I will come home some of these days and cook you a navy dinner.

Well, I guess this will be all for this time, so goodby.

Forrest D. Harris
U.S.S. Maine, care postmaster.
Fortress Monroe, Va.