silentC
16th June 2004, 11:31 AM
LETTER FROM A FARM KID NOW AT THE MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT IN SAN DIEGO.
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 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, 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 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 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. 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 setup and come
stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Gail
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 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, 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 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 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. 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 setup and come
stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Gail