Letter from Camp Pendleton
A LETTER FROM A FARMER, NOW AT CAMP PENDLETON

Dear Ma and Pa:

Am well. Hope you are. 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 maybe all of the places are
filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but 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,they get 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 between two city
boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till 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 is not my place to tell him
different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys gets
sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The country is nice, but awful flat. The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some.
The Capt. 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 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.

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,
Gail

category: military  date entered: 2006-03-23