Dear Mother:
Here it is Sunday night already. The time sure flies fast in the army.
I was going to call. Thu’l’s last Sunday, but changed my mind.
Last week sure was a busy week for me with K.P., fireman, and rifle practice and school. I guess it will be a little easier though this week. This is the last week of Basic Training and rumors have it that we are moving out next Sunday. Some will be sent to the new area here at Camp Crowder and others will be sent to civilian schools all over the United States. But none of us know when or where. Today I got a pass and went to Joplin 30 miles away. I went with my two room mates. It is a town of about 40,000 people with one main street. It is like and old times western town. There was a couple of second hand shops there with all kinds of guns and stuff but they were closed. We had a lot of fun looking at all the store windows because its been a month since we’ve seen a town and it sure was a treat to go. The first two weeks in camp we all were guaranteed for any sign of sickness. And next week they kept me so busy we couldn’t go out. But we finally made it today. When you want a pass you have to go to the orderly room and they’ll ask you the general orders which you have to recite in a flash. You can ask Johnny what the general orders are. I can get this pass anytime. I want it now. I wonder if you would like some souveniers from these towns around here. They have a lot of little nick-knacks (very cheap) of the Ozarks, etc. And I would buy you some if you wanted them. Some of them are really swell. On a lot of the hills the bus had to shift into first to make it to the top. The buses are always packed full. There isn’t even any standing room in any of the buses.
I went to church this morning with my room mates and Bob Cook from the Heights. After church we went for the bus and had dinner at the bus station in Joplin. (All the interstate buses stop here. It is a big place. About 10 times as big as the Heights bus station.) We had a pork chop dinner for a ½ dollar. And during the course of the day I also had a hamburger, and a sundae. One of the boys knew a girl here at Joplin, so he called her up and she came and drove us all around the town. There sure are some high class joints there. Just like Country Club Road. And maybe better. All in all we had a full day and got back in camp at 6:30 P.M.
Well don’t know how much I’ll be able to write this week. Since there will probably be a lot to do. They also have Harley Davidson motorcycles on the Joplin police force and a motorcycle shop.
This is the ideal place for hunting. All kinds of undergrowth and brush. And it is all woodland where ever you look.
I also had my picture taken. Is it a humdinger. Say hello to everybody.
Your son,
Melvin