Dear Ma and Pa:
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 maybe all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because they made you 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, because there is lots of 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 between 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 gets 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 Capt. 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 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.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers hear about this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Sue Ellen
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof and Ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not real good.
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 maybe all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because they made you 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, because there is lots of 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 between 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 gets 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 Capt. 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 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.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers hear about this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Sue Ellen
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof and Ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not real good.
