Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are too.  Tell Brother Johnny Bill and Brother Billy Bob the Marine Corps sure beats working for old man Miller by a mile.  Tell them to join up quick before 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 am getting to where I like to sleep late.

Tell Johnny Bill and Billy Bob 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 since 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 green tomatoes, pie and other regular food, but tell Johnny Bill and Billy Bob you can always sit by two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you til 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 Captain is like the school board.  Majors and colonels just ride around and frown.  They don't bother you none. This next will kill Johnny Bill and Billy Bob 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 Hatfield boys at home. All you got to do is lie ther 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, and I have to be real careful though cause 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 near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Johnny Bill and Billy Bob to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Gail