A North Dakota Farm Kid joined the Marines and was sent to
Parris Island for Marine Corps Recruit Training. Here is a letter
sent home:
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well and hope you are. Tell brothers Walt and 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
6AM. But I'm 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 fruity juice, cereal, eggs,
bacon, etc. but kinda weak on on chops, potatoes, ham, steak,
fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer
you can always sit by 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 our mailbox at
home. Then the city boys get sore feat 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
metals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as
big as a chipmunks head and don't move, and it ain't shooting
back at you like the Higgett boys back 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 easy. It ain't like fighting with that big old
bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except 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
he's 6'8" and nearly 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other
fellers get into this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Alice
Parris Island for Marine Corps Recruit Training. Here is a letter
sent home:
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well and hope you are. Tell brothers Walt and 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
6AM. But I'm 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 fruity juice, cereal, eggs,
bacon, etc. but kinda weak on on chops, potatoes, ham, steak,
fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer
you can always sit by 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 our mailbox at
home. Then the city boys get sore feat 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
metals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as
big as a chipmunks head and don't move, and it ain't shooting
back at you like the Higgett boys back 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 easy. It ain't like fighting with that big old
bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except 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
he's 6'8" and nearly 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other
fellers get into this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Alice
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