Their child enlisted in the military, and the parents eagerly awaited a letter to learn about their child’s well-being. Upon receiving the letter, it quickly gained widespread attention. Don’t miss out on this captivating read!
Dear Mom and Dad,
I trust this letter finds you both in good health. Please convey my greetings to Brother Walt and Brother Elmer. Being a part of the Marine Corps is a far cry from working under old man Minch, and I encourage them to enlist before all the slots are taken.
Initially, I felt a bit restless, especially with the luxury of staying in bed until almost 6 a.m. However, I’ve grown to appreciate sleeping in. Inform Walt and Elmer that the morning routine involves nothing more than tidying up the bunk and polishing a few things. No messy chores like slopping hogs, pitching feed, mixing mash, splitting wood, or laying fires. Practically a breeze.
Shaving is a necessity, but it’s not too bad, thanks to warm water. Breakfast consists of a variety of trimmings such as fruit juice, cereal, eggs, and bacon, but it’s somewhat lacking in chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular foods. However, you can always share a table with the two city boys surviving on coffee. Their rations, combined with yours, keep you satisfied until the next meal at noon. No wonder these city boys can’t handle much walking.
We engage in what they call “route marches,” which the platoon sergeant claims toughens us up. If that’s his belief, I won’t argue. A “route march” is roughly the distance to our mailbox back home. The city guys often complain of sore feet, and we end up riding back in trucks.
The sergeant adopts a teacher-like approach, nagging quite a bit. The Captain resembles the school board, while majors and colonels simply ride around and frown, not bothering us much.
Here’s something that will tickle Walt and Elmer’s funny bones. I keep receiving medals for marksmanship, although I can’t quite fathom why. The target is nearly as large as a chipmunk’s head, stationary, and not shooting back like the Higgett boys back home. Just lie comfortably and hit it—no need to load your own cartridges; they come pre-packaged.
We also undergo hand-to-hand combat training, wrestling with those city boys. I have to be cautious; they tend to break quite easily. It’s a far cry from tussling with the old bull at home. I’m considered one of the best at this, except for Tug Jordan from Silver Lake. I managed to beat him once, but he outweighs me significantly at 6’8″ and nearly 300 pounds dry.
Make sure to let Walt and Elmer know they should enlist before others catch on to this opportunity and start rushing in.
With love,
Alice
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