The lighting on the photos [sic] not very good. Am enclosing the rest)

31 Dec. 1943- 7:05 P.M.

Dearest "Beloved" (to quote from you)

The last day of the year--in fact the last evening--and, but for the many sailors who hustled out on shore leave tonight, this is just another date to me marked off the ^Sampson Calendar. And so I'm seated in the library, cooling off after a terrific fast game of ping pong, and thinking of my darling, my dear little baby, and home, sweet home. I think if I were home tonight, I'd be content just to sit beside you & hold hands--(well, maybe not *simply* hold hands!).

Today was one of my busy days--preparing 3 guilty court martial cases, and at the same time having to work on some old notes in a famous not guilty case which has stirred up the [el] commander for a number of reasons, including the fact that the recorder omitted from the final record certain pertinent portions of my transcript. Big doings [sic] & some sniping going on so it's fortunate my notes are decyeherable [sic] & will stand up if the controversy should further involve them.