P.F.C. Joe Keller

Co “C” First Tank Bn.

F.P.O. San Francisco, Calif.

Dear Mom and Dad,

[Censored by Navy] We were pretty busy up there, so that is why you haven’t heard from me. I won’t get to mail this letter [until] we get to where we are going, so I guess it will be a long time before you receive it.

What a birthday I had this year. I spent it in a tank and in a foxhole. It wasn’t like the ones I used to have, but anyway I’m a year older.

Well, I was surprised to hear that you received those Leathernecks, I never have received any of them since I paid for it at Paris Island. You see what I mean when I say the Marine Corps is all messed up.

I’ll be looking for that package you said you sent, but I expect it will be a long time before it gets here.

I thought I had told you but [maybe] I hadn’t. I put my Crystal in that box and mailed it just before we got on the ship to go to Palou. It will probably be a little while before it gets there I guess but it should arive in good condition as it is in that box.

Preston must be getting big now from what you say. I don’t understand why I don’t gain eating this good navy chow. That’s one thing about the navy they have good chow. In fact it must be because I had 6 meals yesterday. I went through for seconds at breakfast, dinner, and supper but I still don’t gain any weight.

I sure would have liked to have been there when you all made cider. I told Rusty about it and he said you had better save some saved for him. He said you had better have some cold beer there too. See rusty has been over her for 30 months and when we get [Censored by Navy] he and a lot of others guys will be going home. He says he is gonna stop in Sekington and get some beer and I expect he will to. Everyday he kids me and says he will be back in those Blue Ridge Mountains drinking beer before long.

That sure was bad about Fitzpatrick store burning. The country folks will miss it. When my Co. news catches up with me I will probably read it there.

When I got that letter when you told me what Cooksie said I shoved it to Rusty and we had a big laugh over it. Boys things sure do get messed around there too. Rusty said to inform the people around here that there aren’t any white women anywhere around here just Marines.

Tell Dad I shure would be a good squirrel hunter now. The Nips are just as hard to see as a squirrel so I’ll be in practice when I get back there.

You said something about the Red Cross outfits. Yes, I’ve seen some since I’ve been over here.

Friday 13, 44 Oct.

Here I am back at camp again and it sure feels good to be on solid ground. I got about 12 letter 2 packages you sent and 5 co news. All I’ve been doing is reading papers and letters. Rusty also got a package and got some Tuna fish (canned) in it so we put the Tuna fish in between the cookies you sent and it tasted real good. Boy you sure know the right things to send in a package. Boy I sure was tickled when I saw what all you had put in it. I sure have had a lot of fun with that little pig. Ornament. I took it to chow with me today and in chow time I set it on my mess gear and practically every guy in the chow line ganged around and had a big laugh. The more they watched the more they laughed. We didn’t eat all of the cookies the first day and to be able to eat them later we had to put a lotion that we use against mosquitoes on the out side of the bag to keep the ants away and then put it in a bucket and tie it extended from the top of our tent to keep the rats out. It worked too. We will be eating for a week.

Mother you asked me if I saw any natives. Yes here at our camp they work sometimes building different kind of houses out of poles. They are good at that since they have been doing it all their life.

P.S.C. Joe Keller Jr.