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.
Tell Walt and Elmer if they were here they would have 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,
Carol
(Thanks, Fran in Destin)
