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>Dear Ma and Pa,
>
> I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the
>Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to
>join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled. I was
>restless at first because you
>got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m.but am getting so I like to sleep
>late.
>Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and
>shine
>some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split,
>fire
>to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad,
>there's
>warm water.
>
> Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs,
>bacon,
>etc.,
>but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and
>other
>regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit between two city
>boys
>that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you
>get
>fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
>
> We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long
>walks
>to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A
>"route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city
>guys get
>sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
>
> The country is nice, but awful flat. The Sergeant is like a
>schoolteacher.
>He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just
>ride
>around and frown. They don't bother you none.
>
> This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting
>medals for
>shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunks
>head
>and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at
>home.
>All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even
>load
>your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
>
> Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to
>wrestle
>with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real
>easy. It
>ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they
>got in
>this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. He joined up the same
>time as me. But I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and weighs near 300 pounds dry.
>
> Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers
>get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
>
>Your ever-lovin' daughter,
>
> Gail
>
> I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the
>Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to
>join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled. I was
>restless at first because you
>got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m.but am getting so I like to sleep
>late.
>Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and
>shine
>some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split,
>fire
>to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad,
>there's
>warm water.
>
> Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs,
>bacon,
>etc.,
>but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and
>other
>regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit between two city
>boys
>that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you
>get
>fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
>
> We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long
>walks
>to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A
>"route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city
>guys get
>sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
>
> The country is nice, but awful flat. The Sergeant is like a
>schoolteacher.
>He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just
>ride
>around and frown. They don't bother you none.
>
> This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting
>medals for
>shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunks
>head
>and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at
>home.
>All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even
>load
>your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
>
> Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to
>wrestle
>with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real
>easy. It
>ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they
>got in
>this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. He joined up the same
>time as me. But I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and weighs near 300 pounds dry.
>
> Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers
>get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
>
>Your ever-lovin' daughter,
>
> Gail
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