The Recruit

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

LETTER FROM A FARM KID, NOW AT SAN DIEGO MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT.

Dear Ma and Pa:

I 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 6a.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, 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 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'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 country is nice but awful flat.

The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. 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 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 in this 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 weighs 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, Gail.