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LETTER
FROM A FARM KID,
(In the 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. You Better Tell em
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 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 these city kids
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 bit 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's head and it 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 and tell Walt and Elmer to
hurry and join before the other fellers get
onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
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