Work On Wednesdays - Think You've Got A Tough Job?

I guess it's all in your attitude, upbringing, and life

experience.  You'll know what I mean when you read

this letter from boot camp.  Thank God for our troops!

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are too. 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 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 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 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 get 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's 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. 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,

Peggy Sue