Wednesday night,

Feb 10-1943

Dear Folks:

I am writing this letter while I am drying out. We had quite a rainy day here and all of us got pretty wet. They make us take off all of our wet clothes and socks when we get in, so don’t worry. We won’t catch cold or anything ____. We have been living quite a lot in the outdoors lately. You see our mess hall is being painted and varnished so we can’t eat indoors for about a week. Now we line up with out mess bits and eat off a chow- wagon. It isn’t bad at all and the food is as good as we had in the mess hall. We feel like real soldiers in the field now, working and eating in the open.

Your boy was on the firing line all day Tuesday. Our entire battery spend all day on the range, shooting our rifles and working in the target pits. We each fired thirty rounds of bullets, five lying on our stomach, five kneeling, five sitting, twelve rapid-fire from a setting position, and the rest standing. I got quite a good score and the coach said it was exceptionally good for someone who never fired before. I got six bullseyes and a lot of near misses. My score was 96 points in all out of a possible 125. I am beginning to feel like another Sargent York*. My platoon shot in the morning and worked in the firing pits in the afternoon. Down in the pits, we had to raise and lower the targets. After each shot hits, the hole has to be covered over with a patch. There was no danger involved because we were in a deep ditch braced with cement and dirt. The bullets fly right over our heads and after a while you never notice them. All in all, it was a very pleasant day and I am looking forward to doing it again.

This week I started on my specialist training. I was one of twelve selected to be an instrument and survey man. That means I am off the big guns and working with the little, delicate instruments now. It is our job to figure out the distances, direction, and height the guns will shoot. It is very accurate work and I will have to brush up on my math. We work with those big, tripod affairs that you have noticed on the streets. They are called hansits* and are used to measure angles and distances. Our special work is very important since the guns shoot where we tell them to. If we are a little off in our figures, they shoot wrong. It is the kind of work I wanted and I am going to enjoy it. Tom will be able to tell you more about my new job. Speaking of Tom, he sent me some swell picture of himself marching with his men. The equiptment he has is exactly like ours, so you can imagine I am in his clothes- that is what I look like. Jacket, leggins, helmet, cartridge belt and all. I am still longing to get that picture taken and that is quite a job out here. Film is hard to get but I will keep trying. Perhaps Sunday I can get some taken.

Your package arrived today and I have about fifteen pairs of socks now. Please don’t send any more- my banoebs* bags can’t hold anymore. We haven’t foot lichen yet and are still living out of the two banoebs* bags. Until this quarantine ends, we can’t go to our regular battery and get them. That quarantine, by the way is supposed to last five more days and then we will be all set. I want it to end so I can go and see Bill. As long as we are so near, it is a shame we can’t get together.

I hope Nanie* and Nell are still making church every morning. I like to hear that because there isn’t anything more you can do for anybody. God bless you all- no soldier ever had a finer family to remember fine.

Sincerely, Joe