Sunday Morning

Feb. 7 1943

Dear Folks,

Two more packages arrived for me on Saturday. The large one containing the cakes and the other with the pajamas brush, etc. I now have more socks handkerchiefs, towels than anybody in the platoon so don’t send anymore for a while. If I ever get shot I will send out a call for help.

Nothing is on the schedule for us today except eats and hanging around. We have been here just a month today and I guess they want to give us a day off. It is well appreciated and will give us a chance to check over our clothes and equipment. We get our laundry together today and get t ready to go to the cleaner tomorrow morning. I am only sending a few towels, handkerchiefs etc. this month.

Last night we had a little party and were given permission to stay up as long as we wanted to. I only stayed up until 10 o’clock but some of the other boys didn’t hit the bed until3 or later in the morning. We didn’t have to get up until 8 o’clock this morning and not even then if we didn’t want any breakfast. I was hungry though and was up on time. Creamed beef on toast, corn flakes, milk and coffee was on the menu so you see it was worthwhile getting up. As I told you in one of my letters I am cutting down on my food. When I first came here and while at Dix I ate like a horse.

Monday I think I will get my haircut again. The sergeant is just like Ma on that score. He has been after me for the past few days to get a trim but I manage to get away. Monday I’ll have to get it done though because you get a detail if your hair is too long. I don’t think I told you about my army hair cut. Boy, they really take it off the top and there are no side burns at all. The way mine is cut I look just like Tom since I have it pushed back. My side part (the letter’s corner was torn off) no more - there isn’t enough hair. It has its [advantages] though-I don’t have to comb it at all. All I do in the morning is put on my hat and the hair (torn) pressed back in place. It is a lot easier to wash and looks very military.

I am going to write Tom a note today. He has sent me several swell letters and a booklet that is full of information. It is a book on the 155 mm. guns we work on and has helped me a lot. It explains all the parts and operations of the gun and with the experience I have had makes me quite a cannonier. Tom gave me a lot of good dope in his letters and he can give it to me in a way I can understand. With the information he gives me I can follow the instructor better where he is telling us about the gun.

Wednesday, another training battery just put on a demonstration for us. It is called an arsop and is an actual demonstration of the guns in the full. We were shown how the positions are taken for the guns, the surveying that must be done, setting up of the commanders tent, telephone string up, machine guns and anti-tank guns placed in position. It is a battle harder than our work on the grounds here since trees have to be cut down, trenches dug, and the guns placed in a concealed position. The officers said we would have to show another battery how to do it soon ourselves. You see there are six training batteries here now and we were the second one. According to schedule we should be going to our regular batteries this week but because of the quarantine and the snow we had we are being kept here for a while. You asked me about the fellow who got sick-he wasn’t from my barracks but was in the training battery. That meant that all of us had to be in quarantine because the army doesn’t take any chances. It is a good thing and only a few fellows kick about it. The rest of us would rather be confined a little longer rather than take a chance of getting sick. That sore throat I had when at home went away long ago and hasn’t bothered me since. We get lots of fresh air here and that is what keeps us in good shape. I for one, was never out in the air so much in my life and (torn) agrees with me.

I will try and send that money order on Monday. It (torn) quite some time to get one made out here but I would (torn) wait for it. You never can tell about sending it directly (torn) the mail.

Be good,

Joe