13 Nov 1942

 

Camp Crowder, Missouri

 

Dear Mother,

            Don’t be alarmed if don’t write all the time. There’s so darned much stuff to do we hardly have time to turn around. Once one is assigned to something he is not changed. If I rode a motorcycle around hear all year I still would have the same job. The past week has been clear practically all the time. Which was a sight for sore eyes.

            They hand out mail at 12 and 5 here. I got your last letter this noon. Pretty fast service. I wonder how quick you’ll get mine?

             I got the pictures from Clarence. Also the candy from Harriet and it was very good.

            You know if I took time to think of every little thing to write in a letter it would take all year to write a few. I have to write like the devil to answer the letters I get.

            I don’t know where you ever got the idea that this army business is a school affair. Getting marks on a card (That’s a laugh) for inspections.  There are no such kinds of cards. If your things aren’t right we have extra K.P. that’s all.

            The shots we get are for many kinds of sickness. Some boys run a little fever after a shot. But I never have. Of course after a shot the muscle in the arm is sore for a few days. We can also feel the stuff go in. It’s a burning sort of feeling, but it’s hardly noticeable.

            I am going to town this weekend, I hope, and I will see what kind of kits, etc they have.

            Don’t worry I get all your letters. Every time I get a letter I answer it. All the stationary I brought along is gone. So that’s a lot of writing. I do not know when I will leave but the Basic Training is over in another week and we have to move out then to make room for another group. Where or when I go I do not know.

            They put us through the gas chamber today to test our gas masks to see if we had absorbed everything they taught us concerning the use of the mask. The chamber was filled with tear gas and we had to walk in, hold our breath, and put on the mask. I didn’t have any trouble at all. We then had to take them off inside and walk out. That gas is sure powerful. My eyes burned and watered for a few minutes. This gas is used because it has the most penetrative power and the other poison gases do not. We went in to see if the mask had any leaks.

            Tonight we worked like heck scrubbing the barracks for inspection. The Captain wants the floor perfectly white. Personally I think he’s nuts. I just got through a little while ago and am very tired.

            I’m writing this letter fast so I can go to bed.

            Well I’m in the army a month and it doesn’t seem like it.

             I shot for record Wednesday after noon and made Expert Marksman. I was the highest one in my barracks. Not bad. Boy, when you fire 80 rounds right after another you know it. I’m sending my scorecard home. Please keep it.

            I wonder if a guy named Klemsman ever stopped at the house. He’s the guy that drives the Hydrox Ice Cream truck by the house every day and holds by Burndetts’ and eats his lunch. His kid is my room mate here. There is also a kid from Flossmoor here too. I’ll write more when I get the time. Say hello to everyone for me.

                                    Your Son,

                                                Melvin

(over)

Address:

Co. “C”- H Bn. Sig. Ton Bn

Camp Crowder, Missouri

How about that map I asked for. Harriet’s candy was very good.   Would like more.