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[[image-ship]]
[[preprinted]] U.S.S HOUSTON [[/preprinted]]

20 August, 1938

Dear Doctor Schmitt,

If your letter had only arrived prior to noon Friday 19 August, yesterday, you could have had a sailfish.  However the fish were found to be full of worms, were taken from the ice box and burnt yesterday afternoon.  We are all sorry for we would have liked to have given you one.  Maybe next Spring if you want one I will be able to make delivery.

We are sailing early Monday morning for the West Coast our orders having been changed again yesterday.  The evening of the day you left Pensacola we were ordered to Norfolk.  It is [[strikethough]] too d [[/strikethrough]] too bad the orders could not have arrived sooner so that you could have made the trip with us and we could have enjoyed your pleasant company.

Hope you arrived home in a good frame of mind and don't think too harshly of the Navy.

Sincerely
Kelly.