That is, not a canadian e-mail from down under Turkey, from somebody else?
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 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 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. 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 set-up and
come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Gail
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But what does Gail think about FPTP??? (when she is not around) |
