Patriot
Isabella is Lazarus
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are the same. 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 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 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 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 am well. Hope you are the same. 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 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 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 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
