(no subject)
FROM A FARM KID AT SAN DIEGO MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT:
Dear Ma and Pa:
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brotehr Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile.
Tell them to join up quick before all of these places are filled.
I was restless at first becasue you got to stay in bed till nearly 5 a. m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late.
Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth our cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water.
Breakfat 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 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. The Majors adn Colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer 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 aint 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 wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It aint 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 '6" and 130 pounds and he is 6'8" and weighs near 300pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellas get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Gail
Semper Fi
Dear Ma and Pa:
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brotehr Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile.
Tell them to join up quick before all of these places are filled.
I was restless at first becasue you got to stay in bed till nearly 5 a. m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late.
Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth our cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water.
Breakfat 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 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. The Majors adn Colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer 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 aint 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 wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It aint 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 '6" and 130 pounds and he is 6'8" and weighs near 300pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellas get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Gail
Semper Fi