Letter from a farm kid.
>
>(Now at San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Training.)>
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 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 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
>
> Daisy
>
