My OperaA letter home from a U.S. Marine
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 11:45:38 PM
West Virginia FARM KID in Marines
(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 get 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 until 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 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,
Alice
I tried to enlist in the Marines but they found out my parents were married...
(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 get 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 until 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 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,
Alice
I tried to enlist in the Marines but they found out my parents were married...
