Monday Eve.
Dear Folks,
Well my first day of training here is over. I really don’t have anything to tell you but it is just that I want to talk to somebody.
We had a fairly easy day today and I hope that maybe tomorrow won’t be too difficult. This morning we had an interview with our company commander. The main purpose of it was just for him to get our address, birthdate and other such details for the company records. I suppose that he also wanted to look over his new charges just to size them up.
This afternoon we were taken on a march around the camp here to get our bearings and find out where different places are. Then we had a couple hours of orientation, talks and movies. With this sort of thing over now, we will be ready to start right to work.
I don’t know for sure how the officers and non-coms (non-commissioned officers) are going to compare with the former ones but there is one thing that I do know. We had good food in Ft. Benning and especially in the 12th company but it is a lot better here. It is not only fixed in a more appetizing manner but so far there seems to be also a more peaceful spirit about the eating and not so much of this old snatch-grab-stuff. I guess that since the majority of the men have been in the army longer and are a little older, they have calmed down a little.
I am in somewhat better spirits right now than I was for a while. I guess I just needed something to quiet my nerves. I had run out of anything to read except that philosophy book and it yankees far too much concentration to be enjoyable. (I have read a couple of chapters in it and I’ll get back to it one of these days.) So I bought me a book at the PX for a quarter. The best book I could find was “See Here Private Hargrove.” I find it very interesting. So far I have read it about a fourth of the way through.
Well I want to clean up and get some shut eye so – Good night,
Love,
Donald
Pvt Donald Tappan 35893186
Co K. 356 Infantry A.P.O. 448
Fort Jackson, S.C.
I’ll be sure when I start getting mail. Get my address on the Tribune fixed will you? And maybe you could let Aunt Mary and some of the rest know about it until I can get everyone written.
Thanks