Noel. 12, 43

2 just after this one were sent to Helen

Dear Mom,

Today we had some more on the Maniacal of arms and also lectures on chemical warfare. This is our third training day and it’s the only day I am really tired. We fell out exactly 11 times today for different things as marching and going places. When we want to get a lecture on gas we walked about 1-½ miles.

Everywhere you go you march and everything is so scattered out with great big parade ground all around to practice marching on and you aren’t allowed on there unless you are practicing marching so we march around them. Around our huts and in back where we fall in there is nothing but mud puddles in wet days and dry sand blowing in your face the next.

Today they call five of us over to the General Dispensary where a real nice doctor asked me all about my civilian life and about about y’alls health. He said he was checking up to see if the strain was too much on me being so light. He even asked me if the marching was to strenuous and if I had a good appetite.

I’m stopping now because I have a lot to learn about chemical warfare.

If you’ve seen any of the following tell them to write because I haven’t received but one letter since I’ve been here, but some of the other boys are that way too. There is so much mail coming in here that one of our D. I. (instructor) who is about 1 ft shorter than I am said the mail is held up about 2 days. I’ve written a letter every night since I’ve here and some nights two. I’ve written Pichle, Gee, Dot, Albert, Mary Alice and you about 4 times and sis.

Your son,

Joe