From: "Heather" <Heather-AT-teknopunx.co.uk>
Subject:  New Armed Forces Member  
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 20:40:42 -0000


> New Armed Forces Member
> 
> A Letter From A Mississippi Farmer, Now Stationed At
> Camp Pendleton:
> Dear Ma and Pa:
> 
> I Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and
> Brother Elmer the Marine
> Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile.Tell
> them to join up
> quick before all of the GOOD places are filled.
> 
> I was restless at first because you got to stay in
> bed till nearly 5
> a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late.
> 
> Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is
> smooth your cot and
> shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch,
> mash to mix, wood to
> split, fire to lay. Practically nothing to do....
> 
> Men got to shave but it is not so bad, they got warm
> water in here.
> Breakfast is strong on trimmings like juice, cereal,
> yogurt, fruit,
> etc., but kind of weak on grits, eggs, ham, bacon,
> steak, fried
> eggplant, and other regular food. But tell Walt and
> Elmer you can
> always sit between two city boys that live on
> coffee. Their food plus
> yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again.
> It's no wonder these
> city boys can't walk much.
> 
> We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant
> says are long
> walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my
> place to tell him
> different. A "route march" is about as far as to our
> mailbox at home.
> Then the city guys gets sore feet and we all ride
> back in trucks. The
> country is nice, but awful flat.
> 
> The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some.
> The Capt. is like
> the school board.
> 
> Majors and Colonels just ride around and frown. They
> don't bother you
> none at all.
> 
> This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I
> keep getting medals
> for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is
> near as big as a
> chipmunk and don't move. And the target ain't
> shooting back at you,
> like them Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is
> lie there all
> comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own
> cartridges. They
> come in boxes. Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to
> hurry and join up
> before too many other fellers hear bout this setup
> and come stampeding
> in.
> 
> 
> Your loving daughter,
> 
> Caroline