Hello Mom,
I got off mess duty yesterday, and boy, was I glad! I also got paid, so I went to town yesterday evening. I went to the town that is 42 miles from here. Didn't have much fun there, so I doubt I'll go there again.
I am going to send you 10 bucks in this letter. It won't help you much, I know, but maybe it will a little.
I hope you and Dad have a good time while you have Red's car. Mom, there isn't much use of you to write every day because I know how hard it is to think of things to write about.
I guess Helen is glad to get her a job, but I'll bet it doesn't pay much. Maybe she can at least buy her clothes.
We had a pretty big rain storm this evening, and here I was laying out there firing my rifle. I couldn't even see the target through the rain. I don't know why they made us fire. It was a lot of shells wasted, and I got soaked.
....We fired 60 rounds today. I love to fire the rifle. We go out at 7:30 in the morning and come back for noon chow, then go right back out and stay until 4:00 or 4:30. Later on, after we start firing more, we won't get in until 6: or 6:30.
They have a show here every evening, but I've only been once.
Is anybody helping Dad on the truck now? I guess he just got paid straight time while he was on vacation, didn't he?
...I went over to the slop shoot this evening and drank a beer, then went to the show. It was "Return of the Ape Man."
I saw 3 of the boys I was in Washington with. They went to New York for a while, then they got sent here.
We fired over 100 rounds today.
I will leave here about the 4th of next month and go to tent camp. That is about 22 miles from here, and we have to walk every step of the way. After that, I will get a furlough, so I should be home around the 19th of next month.
Well, that Pete doesn't have any sense at all. He must sure love her to send her a check for $100. That money could have done his mother and dad more good than her. I would never get married while I was in the marine corps because if something happened to me, she would get the money and not you and dad.
We got off yesterday around noon, so I thought I'd go on liberty. Drank a few beers and had a pretty good time. I went to a carnival for a while. Had fun teasing the girls working there.
....
It's so hot here that it is hard to sleep. The flies and mosquitoes are bad. It hardly ever rains.
Sorry I haven't written for a while, but I've been really busy. Monday night we went on a hike, and we got in late. Wednesday and Thursday nights we also went on a hike. I have walked 60 miles this week. So, we got off today, for the rifle range tonight, but then we had to wash all the windows.
We will have a lot of work to do next week. We have to fire the B.H.R next week. We will fire it during the day, then we will fire the M1 at night. We will fire every night until about 9:30 or 10. On Saturday, we will leave here to go down to the main base. It is about 22 miles from here.
....We went out last night around 11:00 to fight fire. They called out the army, navy and marine corp for a really big forest fire. We got back in about 15 minutes till 7 this morning. We worked all night, and this morning they had another bunch of marines to come to take our place. They told us we could sleep all day long today if we wanted, but I only slept until about 11:00 because it is too hot to sleep.
We went on three 20-mile hikes last week, and I think we have to go on one this week.
I wish you would go to a doctor about your arm hurting so bad.
I didn't work too hard today. We didn't do nothing but fire this morning, and this afternoon, I just sat around and watched the rest of them fire. We have to go back out this evening and fire after dark. I don't mind firing after dark because it is a little bit cooler. The rifle we are firing now weighs 23 lbs. and is hard to hold. It kicks a good bit. It shoots automatic, and you can fire 20 rounds in no time. All you have to do is hold the trigger. But it moves you backward if you fire that many at one time.
Yes, I read in the paper about that tornado. That was a shame.
I guess Jewell was glad to get that 26 bucks.
Mom, I won't get to come home for the 4th, but hope to get home soon after that.
We fired preliminary today, and I would make marksman. It doesn't count, though, because tomorrow is record day. I think I can make sharpshooter. At least I hope I can.
The boys who came here with me got a $20 check today. Everyone but me and another boy. That is the check that we had coming to us from Parris Island. I hope I get mine in the next day or so.
I'm going to go eat chow now and get ready to fall out at 7:00.
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