Sunday night

March 21, 1943

Dear Folks,

I have a few hours until lights go out so I will write a few lines. I had a very lazy day and feel quite at peace with the world!

Three letters arrived yesterday, and I enjoyed reading them- especially Ma’s telling of the soldier eating outdoors and washing their kits. We did that for a week at Yakima and got quite used to it. It isn’t bad once you become accustomed to it. At first the sensation of eating out in the field is a funny one. You are so used to sitting down at a table that it is a new experience to balance your bait on your knee and eat. We sit on the ground or place the mess kit on a truck fender or anything that will support it. Cleaning up afterwards is easy- the boiling hot water takes all the grease off the metal.

You asked about my sleeping bag, Ma it was warm as toast and I was mighty glad I had it. Our tent got cold during the night when we let the fire go out. We were zipped up tight in the bags with only our head out and quite warm. We put two blankets inside the bag and crowded in the middle. Once we got inside we pulled up the zipper and bundled in for the night. We will use them at Camp Young in India as well they tell us that we will use the six-man tent down there. I don’t think I have told you that we were going to Camp Young. I just found out the name of the camp last week.

Those air- mail envelopes you sent me are quite a big bundle now. I have enough on hand now to last me a long time. Don’t send anymore for a while- I might lose them.

I was going to try and make Seattle the week-end but we didn’t finish work Saturday until after six o’ clock. That was too late to go to Seattle as I wouldn’t get there until late at night. When you get in that late, rooms simply aren’t to be had. Every hotel is sold out. Next Saturday I am going to try again- I will try and get a pass ahead of time and make it for about 12 noon. If I get it I can arrange with Bill to meet him somewhere. The trip from home to Seattle is quite a long one and there is a lot of time lost waiting for busses. Anywhere from 2 to 3 hours is usually used up in traveling.

Saturday we spent the whole day looking at a field exhibit put on by an infantry division stationed here. We started at 8 in the morning and didn’t get back here until 6 at night. We were shown how the infantry branch works and found out that they have a lot tougher time than we have. They really have to exercise and move around. We sow them rushing a position the way they would do in combat. They run about 30 yards, throwing themselves on the ground, pick themselves up and run again. When they get through they must have a lot of cuts and bruises. They don’t fall gently at all but really throw themselves on the ground. They put their rifle ahead of them and that take up some of the shock. But it isn’t easy by any means.

When I see what the other branches have to do, our branch seems quite easy. The hardest thing we had to do is go on hikes with full packs. These hikes lasted about one hour and we had to cover five miles. We would run 100 yards, walk 300 and then run again. I didn’t drop out on any of them although I got a little out of breath on some of them. But as long as the officer could keep going, I figured I could too. And it got to be enjoyable after a time because we knew we were getting in shape. I would like to keep going on them even now that we are out of the training battery. We had lots of fun hiding one another and nagging the guys that had to drop out. I would like to try a 30 mile hike like Tom was on with his boys. Did he tell you about that? That really was some walk and my big brother is really in shape. He can show any of his non-communists up and we have respect- for one officer like that. We like guys that can tell us what to do and are able to do it themselves. What a man that T.F.Jr. is! If I keep him as a model, I can’t go wrong.

I saw a funny sight today. When I went to church there were 2 prisoners from the guard house in the pews with their guards. They had their rifle with them and marched the prisoners back when Mass was over. You never see such a sight as that in St. Joseph’s!

Today I caught up with all my sewing and shoe shining. I had three buttons to sew on my overcoat and made quite a professional job of it. You would never recognize me with a needle in my hand, Ma! I have learned to sew buttons on and even fixed a torn finger in my glove. I can handle the needle with grace now. I turned the glove inside out, sewed it up and you can’t tell it was even torn. So if you ever need an assistant to darn socks or sew on buttons let me know.

I shined all my shoes today my dress shoes and my two G.I. pairs. You remember sending me a lot of shoe polish- I still have 3 cans unopened and am just finishing up a can now. With all my polish rags and polishes I am the best equipped man in the barracks. You folks at home sure made certain that I never was short of anything.

Ma mentioned that she was making candy for me. With all this sugar rationing etc, it must be quite a job getting the ingredients together. You really shouldn’t be bothering as we have all the ice cream and candy we could want in the post exchange. So we never have to wish for a bar of candy. I enjoyed all you sent to me and will be glad to get the bop you sent me on Monday. But you should save the sugar and use it yourself. You people at home need it and have to have it. If you don’t Ma won’t be able to go out and collect for the Red Cross. She is quite a collector and I am proud of my mom. With her personality she sure can get the people to open up their purses. So don’t be thinking that little Joe is missing his candy and ice cream. I eat more now than I ever did in my life.

Is John out of the hospital yet? I hope he wasn’t seriously sick and didn’t have to stay in too long. He will miss coming up to the house, I bet. When this letter reaches you, I hope he will be O.K. again and back to work.

Did you get my Yakima picture yet? They are the best ones I took out here and are 100% better than the ones the boys took of me. So long now and don’t work too hard!

Joe