[StBernard] What happens when you put farm kids in the Marines

[Westley Annis]

Farm Kid Joins Marines

Kansas FARM KID in Marines (NOW AT San Diego MARINE CORPS RECRUIT
TRAINING )

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 all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. 
But I 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 until 
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 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 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 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,

Alice