firstsgtmike
08-05-03, 09:31 AM
Dear Ma and Pa:
Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the
Marines beats working for Old Man Minch a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till
nearly 6 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. You got to shave, but it is not bad in warm water.
Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal,
eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, beef, ham steak, fried eggplant, pie and 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.
It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route
marches," which, the Sgt. 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 all get sore feet and we ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.
The Sgt. is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is
like the school board. Cols. and Gens. just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting
medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bull's-eye is near as big as a chipmonk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higsett 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 before other
fellows get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving son,
Zeb
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $2000 for barn roof and ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good - Z
================================================== ===================
Dearest Zeb,
I'm writing this slow because I know you can't read
fast. We don't live where we did when you left home.
Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents
happen within 20 miles of your home, so we moved. I
won't be able to send you the address because the last
West Virginia family that lived here took the house
numbers when they moved so they wouldn't have to
change their address.
This place is really nice. It even has a washing
machine. I'm not sure about it. I put a load of
clothes in and pulled the chain. We haven't seen them
since.
The weather isn't bad here. It only rained twice last
week; the first time for three days and the second
time for four days.
About that coat you wanted me to send; your Uncle
Billy Bob said it would be too heavy to send in the
mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put
them in the pockets.
Bubba locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were
really worried because it took him two hours to get me
and your father out.
Your sister had a baby this morning, but I haven't
found out what it is yet so I don't know if you are an
aunt or uncle. The baby looks just like your brother.
Uncle Bobby Ray fell into a whiskey vat last week.
Some men tried to pull him out but he fought them off
and drowned. We had him cremated, he burned for three
days.
Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pickup
truck. Butch was driving. He rolled down the window
and swam to safety. Your other two friends were in the
back. They drowned because they couldn't get the
tailgate down.
There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much
out of the normal has happened.
Your Favorite Aunt,
Mom
======
Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the
Marines beats working for Old Man Minch a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till
nearly 6 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. You got to shave, but it is not bad in warm water.
Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal,
eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, beef, ham steak, fried eggplant, pie and 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.
It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route
marches," which, the Sgt. 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 all get sore feet and we ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.
The Sgt. is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is
like the school board. Cols. and Gens. just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting
medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bull's-eye is near as big as a chipmonk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higsett 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 before other
fellows get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving son,
Zeb
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $2000 for barn roof and ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good - Z
================================================== ===================
Dearest Zeb,
I'm writing this slow because I know you can't read
fast. We don't live where we did when you left home.
Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents
happen within 20 miles of your home, so we moved. I
won't be able to send you the address because the last
West Virginia family that lived here took the house
numbers when they moved so they wouldn't have to
change their address.
This place is really nice. It even has a washing
machine. I'm not sure about it. I put a load of
clothes in and pulled the chain. We haven't seen them
since.
The weather isn't bad here. It only rained twice last
week; the first time for three days and the second
time for four days.
About that coat you wanted me to send; your Uncle
Billy Bob said it would be too heavy to send in the
mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put
them in the pockets.
Bubba locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were
really worried because it took him two hours to get me
and your father out.
Your sister had a baby this morning, but I haven't
found out what it is yet so I don't know if you are an
aunt or uncle. The baby looks just like your brother.
Uncle Bobby Ray fell into a whiskey vat last week.
Some men tried to pull him out but he fought them off
and drowned. We had him cremated, he burned for three
days.
Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pickup
truck. Butch was driving. He rolled down the window
and swam to safety. Your other two friends were in the
back. They drowned because they couldn't get the
tailgate down.
There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much
out of the normal has happened.
Your Favorite Aunt,
Mom
======