Wed. Sept. 20

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well, I got here in Monterey at midnight last night. We rode buses all the way so we didn’t even go through L.A. We left at 7:00 A.M. yesterday morning, and it was really a long, tiresome trip. The Food isn’t really as good here as it was at the Fort. It’s cold as ice, and the wind has blown all day. Corporal made us stand out in it most all afternoon. I think I am coming down with a cold. Except for that, everything is okay. I am still with the same bunch of fellows as I started out with. I was picked out by the fort to lead the group up here and handle all the bus and meal tickets. We came through all night, and we didn’t lose a man. We changed buses about five times and had two meals on the road. We had a lot of fun on the way up. The boys called me Sarge all the way. I kept counting them so many times I about went nuts. We will be here about 2 or 3 weeks before we go to basic training. So you can write me here. I sure will be glad to get on to training. This sitting around taking tests and shots is getting tiresome. I have put on 5 pounds since I left. I’m going to get fat if I don’t watch out.

I am sending home the papers I told you about in this letter. You can mail those photo static copies to me here.

I’m kind of homesick, but not so bad now that I’m not so close and everything is new. Tell Nana and everybody hello for me. I’ll write them all soon.

We had to lock up all our uniforms today, and just keep our fatigues. Too many guys have been going A.W.O.L. It is plenty easy to get out here if you want to. We are on the island.

I am meeting a clot of swell fellows, and a lot who aren’t so swell. I guess that’s the way it will be all the way through. I have chummed up with a fellow from Brawley, California. He’s “A redhead”.

Love to you both,

Jack