Letter From A Farm Kid

Dear Ma and Pa,

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the MarineCorps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quickbefore 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 beforebreakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feedto 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 isstrong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weakon 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 oncoffee. 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 toharden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "routemarch" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys getsore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The country is nice but awful flat The sergeant is like a school teacher. Henags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels justride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals forshooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk headand 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 loadyour own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestlewith 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 theygot in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake I only beathim once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 poundsand he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers getonto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Alice