Rifle Range P.I.S.C.
2/22/42
Hello Betty darling,
Gee I wonder if you had such a perfectly beautiful day as we had down here today. It was fair and just like our summer.
We worked our usual all day. But it was so nice overhead it wasn’t such a grind as it has been the last few days
Darling I would of had a letter I suppose from you today but that brat of a Corp was again late in getting to the P.O. after 4:00P.M. They send the mail back to the main station. He was on the firing line all day with us. But if he was on the ball he could have gone for it. The platoon as a whole is burnt up about him. That’s not right for him to be so slack.
I know that I’ll have one tomorrow from you though.
I suppose you are listening to Abbot and Costello about this time, 8:15. We haven’t heard a radio or seen anything “civilized” since we’ve been in training. When we get off this range in six more days we are going to celebrate somehow.
I’m going down to take a cold shower in the portable bath house. It’s better than nothing. Oh yes we received pillows for the first time since we have arrived on P.I.S.C. Gee I almost forgot how to sleep with one now. We came back all dusty and parched from the firing line and saw them lying on our cots.
How is your social life darling. Please tell me about it. I enjoy hearing about it.
What do the fellow talk to you and kid you about mornings in the B.B.? I imagine you take a lot and dish out plenty. Do you miss me pulling at your tasle in there when you were in the act of sipping your coffee?
Are you an experienced counter girl yet? You’ll have to be good so that when we open that little “drive in” place we will make the “bizziness”. What color shall the “dinner” be? You describe your cute little ideas to me.
You mentioned about me being the tallest one in the group that left. Well I’m the tallest in my platoon also. Its really a drawback for injections or drilling or anything that goes by line, they start with the tallest and go down (If I don’t drop from the shot in the arms the boys know that they will be O.K.). We had still another one yesterday. The marines get more injections than the other services.
Here I go again bragging about the marines. Well in the statistic book of military information the facts about comparison of a marine and a soldier are as follows. In intelligence, military and mech training a single marine is worth six soldiers. (So dear when you see a marine walking down the street next time just think to yourself and say “Gee, he is worth six soldiers.”)
“You brave, rowdy, brave” that’s all we hear all day on the march. Aho, “1,2,3,4, you left rowdy left” “Incadance count” 1,2,3,3 for your left. We shout these at the top of our lungs on the march. When we feel tired on the way back we have to shout twice as loud when the Corp yells “Cadance”.
Do you still remember what I looked like? Sometimes I wonder if you have started to forget about me. I just got my second haircut. We get one before leaving. We are all used to them though. Its a good thing its required because it saves a lot of time and trouble and they are way more practical.
The sun down here certainly does a “super” job on you. Our “go to tell” caps are fading from the steady heat. I hope by now that your picture is on its way. Darling I just can’t wait to see it. I’m like a kid waiting for Christmas morn.
If I was home today we would have been out Sunday riding. Tell me any changes that take place on the way to + fro from your nice snug home.
I hope nobody is cutting me out evening in that front by the stove.
Write often sweetest as I can never receive enough of your dear letters.
We fall out for early firing at 7:00 A.M. tomorrow.
Its like an unknown world here. No calendar, clocks or anything. Sun + Mon. are just the same.
As usual the time for all good little girls like you to be in bed has come around so I’ll shove off until tomorrow evening.
I love you dearest,
Jack
XXXXOOOO