May 31, 44

Dear Mom & Dad,

Yesterday was quite a day. We practiced getting into landing boats off of a high platform yesterday morning. It rained all day yesterday. Yesterday evening we made a beach landing from landing boats at Onslow beach. The landing boats couldn’t go but so far in so we had to jump into the water up above our waist and swim to shore with packs on our back and our rifle.

We ate “C” rations all day yesterday and then again we went out last night and made another landing. After that we had to hunt some dry wood and build a fire and try to dry out because we had to sleep out there last night. In a “C” ration can you get a small container of powdered coffee so we had some hot coffee and we also had little lumps of sugar to put in it. We came back to tent this morning and we have spent the rest of the day getting ready for our Saturday inspection. A lot of the boys rifles rusted a lot getting wet in that salt water and staying all night without cleaning but before we left I practically floated my with oil and I didn’t have but one rust spot and it came off. Some of them had to kick their rifles to get them apart and then they couldn’t get the rust off. On mine the water just rolled off I had so much oil on it.

When I got back today I got 2 letters from you, one from Midge, and one from Libby S. Midge also told me she washed dishes with you.

You said you missed me. Well I miss being there although I wasn’t home half the time.

Midge told me that Ronnie had a date with Col. M’s daughter Friday night. What happened to Julia?

Love

Your son Joe