> 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 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 til
> 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 Minch
> by 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 til
> 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
