Letter to Samuel Tappan
Sunday
Dear Grandpa and all the rest,
I never have written Grandpa a letter and I realize that he gets benefit from all my letters but this will be his letter. I must begin as usual by making apologies for not writing but I was so busy the last part of last week that a letter to Grandpa Carver which I started on Wednesday didn’t get finished until this morning. We got off early yesterday afternoon and I might have written then but I went to the barber shop and had to wait 2 hours to get my hair cut so my afternoon was shot. I don’t know whether we have to get haircuts like the navy boys do. Well a lot of fellows do get them because they are a lot less trouble but they aren’t required and I haven’t got one. My hair is cut about as usual except the hair in front has been shortened so that it won’t fall into my eyes. We have to pay for our own haircuts but they only cost us 40cents, the same as Dicks.
Here is how I have spent my evenings instead of writing for the past few days. On Wednesday we were out until 11:00 on a night problem on the use of the compass. Thursday night we had to scrub out the barracks for inspection and on Friday night we went to a lecture. At this program a Catholic priest, a Jewish Rabbi and a Protestant minister spoke to us. The purpose was, of course, to encourage religion and a cooperation between those of different religions. A lot of fellows didn’t want to go but I heard several of them actually bragging on it after it was over.
I went to chapel again this morning then came back and got your package at mail call. I might have got it last night if I had been here instead of the barber shop. You sent the exact kind of towel that I wanted but was afraid I hadn’t explained well enough.
This week we have been taking a good bit of mechanical training on the trench mortar and the light machine gun. We will fire these on the range sometime before our basic is over. The mortar is interesting to me to work with but I may not be very good at it. You have to be pretty good at judging distances to be accurate.
We were also issued the rifle that we will shoot. We have been carrying World War I rifles up till now to learn how to drill with rifles. The rifles we have now are like the ones used in combat but of course the aren’t new ones. They are known as the 30 caliber M.I. I don’t know whether you have heard of them or not.
Well yesterday made 2 months for me in this army. In 2 more months (8 weeks) I should be through my basic training. There has already begun to be a lot of speculation and anticipation about where we will go to school. That is a good ways off and I have got a lot of things to do before then. I just hope I can get through this basic alright. I haven’t done anything outstanding yet but as far as I know I am doing satisfactory.
You asked if our barracks are heated. Well there are stoves in them and heat doesn’t feel so bad when the temperature gets down about freezing in the mornings, but we have to keep them so clean that we more often go without a fire. Anyway we want to get used to the cold to prepare us for the time when we will be out sleeping in our pup tents. We are supposed to spend 2 weeks out on the range living in 6 or 7 men tents and 2 weeks on bivouac ( or practice maneuvers) living in our pup tents.
I believe I told you about wanting you to put my plastic chain(?) up and I can find it sometime. Well I am sending it now.
I want to read my Sunday School paper and Readers’ Digest and am running low on news anyway.
Love,
Donald
Those Rice Krispie things are really good. My appetite about runs away with me. I am spending too much on candy and am going to have to slow up considerably. I would like for Richard to give Mr. Rayment my correct address. They are getting it all wrong.