Sept 21, 41
Btry.
E-94th l.et.
Dear Pauline-
Sunday, one
day of the week I like the best, nothing to do but lay around on the cot and
listen to the radio. You don’t even have to make up your bed. We just had
turkey for dinner, I didn’t care much for it, and the bird was either old or
was not cooked right. Some of the boys are playing volleyball, baseball,
pitching horseshoes and kicking the football around. Football is in the air-our
camp team played last night and did they take a drubbing. 67
to 0. These guys are all high school football stars but what a poor
showing they made. One of the players a guard is on my section and did I kid
him.
The weather
during the day is still hot but the nights are chilly. The battery office
issued us a heavy blanket; they call them comforters! Last week we had another shot in the arm to
combat Lock Jaw. We have a couple more
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more shots coming. We turned in our overcoats 2 weeks ago and a
few days ago we were mea-sured for a coat and
mackinaw.
I was on
guard duty again last week and i got me two big
blisters on my left big toe, I didn’t mind so much cause I used it for an alibi
to keep me from going on a hike the next day. I don’t like them
heights cause they walk better than 3 miles an hour in the hot sun. With all
that equipment you have to pack and your old fanny dragging behind, it’s too
much for an old bozo like me. I’m glad I’m not in the infantry, they pack about
75 lbs. While walking guard, I run into
a General. I presented arms and he high balled me back. It’s the first time
since I been here.
There were
five prisoners in the guard house and now another one of my men in my section
is in the guard house. He went AW.O.L. Was court maritaled,
fined $10 and now has to spend 14 days in the guardhouse. He was lucky cause the penalty could have been heavier.
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This fellow just took off without permission. He beat his
way home on the highway, laid around home for 10 days
and then come back.
I am a
Light Commander and in charge of section no. 14. I was a Corporal for about a
month but I didn’t get no rating cause us old guys are getting out soon. The
way I understand, is that the battery can give out so many ratings. They figure
it’s no use to give a old guy a rating who is going to
be discharged soon and beat a younger guy out of it, id he has to put in a year
and a half. A corporal gets $54 a month and has some privileges. A private
first class gets $36 a month and the rating pays extra dough. There’s a 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
4th, 5th, and 6th rating.
In our
battery there are 47 men over 28 yrs. and last week two men received their
discharges. Those were hard ship cases, both were married and past 30. They got
out through a
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dependency request. I don’t think it will be very long before the rest
of us get out unless something happens. I received your letter and money
thanks, will pay you back one of these days. Did ma get that roster and
regimental picture I sent? Could any of you find me on that picture? I’m in
(look for Battery E-94th) the extreme left rear, 3rd man
over and about the 3rd man down. I have sun glasses on. I mailed some
snaps home to ma and Mary. I’m sending a bath towel to the old man with a
Your
bro, Pete
P.S.
Mary wrote and
told me she got her birth certificate, write and tell me exactly what’s on it
but don’t send the certificate.