**Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine
Corps beats working for old man Minchby a mile. Tell them to join up
quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first
because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 A.M. but I 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 by the 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's 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 school teacher. He nags a lot. The
Captain 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 chipmunk 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. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but
I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and 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 loving daughter,**
**Carol*
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine
Corps beats working for old man Minchby a mile. Tell them to join up
quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first
because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 A.M. but I 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 by the 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's 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 school teacher. He nags a lot. The
Captain 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 chipmunk 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. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but
I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and 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 loving daughter,**
**Carol*
