Because it made me laugh

[sherri]

LETTER FROM A FARM KID NOW AT THE MARINE CORP
> RECRUIT DEPOT IN SAN DIEGO.
>
> 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 maybe all of 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. Men got to shave
> but it is not so bad, there's warm water.
>
> Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice,
> cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on
> chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and
> other regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can
> always sit by the 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 get 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 Captain is like the school board. Majors
> and Colonels 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 bulls-eye is near as big as a
> chipmunk head and don't move. And it ain't shooting
> at you, like the 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.
>
> Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat
> training. You get to wrestle with them city boys.
> I have to be real careful though, they break real
> easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at
> home. I'm about the best they got in this except for
> that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. He joined
> up the same time as me. But I'm only 5'6" and 130
> pounds and he's 6'8" and weighs near 300 pounds dry.
>
> Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join
> before other fellers get onto this setup and come
> stampeding in.
>
> Your loving daughter,
>
> Betty-Lou