Post by Saknika on Sept 24, 2005 20:04:35 GMT -5
A LETTER FROM A FARMER, NOW AT CAMP PENDLETON
Dear Ma and Pa; 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, they get 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 gets 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 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.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get
into this setup and come
stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Gail
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof and
ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good.
Dear Ma and Pa; 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, they get 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 gets 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 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.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get
into this setup and come
stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Gail
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof and
ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good.