Friday morning

3/5/43

Dear Folks:

This has been a pretty busy week for us- that is why I haven’t written. We have been moved to our permanent battery yesterday and were quite upset. We had to pack all our equipment in our two barrack bags and carry them to our new barracks. They sure were heavy and we were glad to get them settled. Now we are all set to go to Yakima and start our missions. Tuesday is the day set for that move.

Before we came here we had to clean and scrub our old barracks. You should have seen all the activity. Mops, brooms are everywhere. We sure cleaned up that place. When we got to our new barracks we had to do the same thing all over again.

I think we will go to California after we get out of Yakima. We don’t know for sure of course but our captain told us we were going there. Some place called India- I think it is in a sort of country place and we will be in the field. I am all set with my sleeping bag and blanket so I won’t be cold. It was a good thing I bought one since all of the boys have theirs. They tell us you would be lost in the field without them. So I think it was $9.00 well spent. I am quite used to being outdoors now since we do it all the time. All we wear now is our field jacket and gloves. I must be getting pretty rugged.

I just got back from lunch now and will try and finish this before the next call. This afternoon we are supposed to go out on the firing range and shoot some sub-machine guns. We haven’t had them yet so it will be new to us. Most likely they will be first like our rifles.

We had chicken and ice cream today so you see they are treating us good in our new battery. There are quite a few of my old training battery here with me. No one still going to some class and had quite a session this morning. We are pretty deep in moth now and I can appreciate what Tom went through at Fort Mounse . This math is a lot harder than any I ever had in college. How Tom passed it with only a high school education is really amazing. There are almost all college fellows in with me and they all feel the same way. The army sure goes in for math in a big way.

I just got a letter from Walton, Helen, and Charlie. I haven’t been able to read them yet or I want to finish this. And said before I am feeling fine again and am all over my sickness. Did I tell you that I got another bag of candy from home? It sure was swell and some of it is going on the range now with me.

Keep well and don’t worry about me.

Sincerely,

Joe