October 19, 1943
Dear Grandparents (Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Carver),
Well my basic training now has a good start. So far I have been busy all of the time but I haven’t had to work too hard.
We haven’t spent all of the time drilling as you might expect. A good bit of time we have spent in learning by the classroom method, only out of doors. For instance we spent all but an hour this afternoon listening to lectures and watching demonstrations on battle tactics.
We have been learning to handle our rifles but haven’t shot them yet. We have also learned to use our other equipment such as to pitch our tents, use our gas masks, etc. Tomorrow we are going to practice using our gas masks in a gas chamber. This chamber will contain real gas but it is the kind that won’t hurt us. By wearing them in harmless gas we will be used to them if we ever have to use them in poisonous gas.
We have taken two or three short marches but they have hardly been long enough to call marches. They are just building us up gradually to the time when we will march for long distances.
The army does one thing that I like very much. Of course it wouldn’t be practical in battle but it helps us out in our training. This is that we work 50 minutes and rest 10 minutes of every hour. This makes it possible for us to accomplish as much in 50 minutes as we would otherwise in 60 and still not be so tired when the day is over.
Do you remember when Ned Trice first entered the army and was complaining about not getting paid for the time he spent at Fort Harrison. Well I want to clear up that question. You don’t get paid while you are there but you get paid for the time you spent there when you get to your next camp.
I hope that everything is coming along alright in Orestes. I suppose that you will take advantage of the vacation at the end of this week to catch up on the school house work.
Well it is almost bedtime.
Your grandson
Donald