Tough Marine
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Dear                                 Ma and Pa:[/FONT]
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I                                 am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother                                 Elmer that the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch                                 by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the                                 places are filled.[/FONT]
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I                                 was restless at first because you have to stay in bed till                                 nearly 6 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late.                                 Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth                                 your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to                                 pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay... practically                                 nothing. Men got to shave but it's not so bad... there's                                 warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit                                 juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops,                                 potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular                                 food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the                                 two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours                                 holds you 'til noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder                                 these city boys can't walk much.[/FONT]
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We                                 go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant                                 says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's                                 not my place to tell him different. A "route march"                                 is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city                                 guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.[/FONT]
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The                                 country is nice but awful flat. The sergeant is like a school                                 teacher. He nags a lot. The captain is like the school board.                                 Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't                                 bother you none. [/FONT]
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This                                 next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting                                 medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is                                 near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't                                 shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got                                 to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't                                 even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes. [/FONT]
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Then                                 we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You                                 get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful                                 though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with                                 that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this                                 except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only                                 beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm                                 only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near                                 300 pounds dry.[/FONT]
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Be                                 sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join up before                                 other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding on                                 in.[/FONT]
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 Your loving daughter, 
                                Alic[/FONT]e