Wednesday Morning
Dear Folks,
We had a hard day yesterday and I knew that it would be 12PM or after before I could get to bed tonight so I went to bed at 9:00 last night. We have 2 hours free time this morning to make up for the time we will spend on a night problem tonight.
Yesterday we started learning about the 60 millimeter mortar and we also had 2 hours of it this morning. Yesterday we also did some more digging. Some of the fellows dug fox holes but I helped dig a mortar emplacement. These holes were 5 ft square by 5 ft deep and the ground was so hard that it took 5 of us about 2 hours to dig it. You would think that sand would be easy to dig in but after you get down an inch or so you have to use a pick and it is like cutting through dry clay.
Yesterday we learned to set up the mortar and the names of its parts and this morning we started to learn the use of the sights. The mortar is like a real small cannon that sets right on the ground. The sights on the thing remind you of a small camera and are supposed to cost about $400.
On our 2 hours free time this morning we all took a smallpox vaccination. Three doctors vaccinated 200 men in about an hour.
It rained all day Sunday and Monday and it was as muddy as everything when marching on Monday and Tuesday but the water soon runs off these sandy hills and it is hardly muddy at all today. It has turned cold after the rains and we had to wear our overcoats for our 2 hour period of work this morning.
THe officers have been tightening down on the inspections of the barracks and it seems that you have to spend about all your spare time cleaning up. Every morning the hutment must be perfectly clean, the beds must be made perfectly and the equipment must be clean and be arranged in perfect order. Ben talked about the navy being so clean but I don’t suppose it is much cleaner that the army when it really tightens down. We have had inspections ever since we have been in the army but they haven’t been as tough as they are now. Besides the regular inspections we have to display full field equipment (toilet articles, underclothes, packs and all field equipment) on our beds once a week usually on Saturdays. The worst part of this is everything must be in one exact spot and only there. There is even a special place for each separate toilet article.
I wish I could have been there to see Ben while he was home but of course I wasn’t. I suppose I will just have to think about and write to him after the duration.
The inevitable happened Monday, someone ran into me and broke my glasses. It was my shell rimmed pair so now I am wearing my others. I don’t know what I will do yet but after my head gets well I may try to get G.I. glasses. My “wound” hasn’t bothered me except that my eye turned out to be a real black eye and the eyeball is kind of red in one corner. The stitches are to be taken out tomorrow.
I am still coming along alright.
Love,
Donald