piggy
1st April 2006, 15:24
LETTER FROM A FARM KID (now at Camp Pendleton, San Diego, Marine Corps
Recruit Training)
Dear Ma and Pa:
I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer that 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's 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 'til
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 up before other fellers
get onto this setup and come stampeding on in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
Recruit Training)
Dear Ma and Pa:
I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer that 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's 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 'til
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 up before other fellers
get onto this setup and come stampeding on in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice