Letter # 5- April 3, 1943

4/3/43
Dear Wife;
Here is my address for the next 3 months or so.
Pvt. Norman W. Effinger #35607651
Headquarters Co. 80th A.R.
A.P.O. #258
North Camp Polk, La.
U.S.Army
Some address huh.
When I realized we were going to some camp in Louisiana I didn't like it so well but it has proved very much of a pleasant experience.
The camp is a fairly large one, about 15,000 men, and is almost new.
It is located on the only really high spot of ground I have seen in the state. It is about 30 miles from the Texas line and the nearest city or town bigger than Poe is 125 miles.
That is Shreveport, La. so I guess we won't spend much money here.
They tell me the camp covers about 100,000 acres part forested and part open for armored movements. It gets rather hot in the daytime already but cools off to rather chilly at night.
What we saw of the state of La. is mostly low and pine forest covered, rather pretty.
We arrived here at Camp Polk about midnight on Friday the 2nd. They had a military band at the station to welcome us and loaded us in trucks and drove about 10 miles to camp.
They gave us time to take a shower which we needed badly after that 36 hour train ride. I still don't know why they routed us like they did. It seems like the long way around. I guess it is about 500 miles from home.
After showers they served us a midnight lunch and then to bed at 2:30.
Sat. morning we were up at 6:00, breakfast at seven and then classification interviews till noon. They said they couldn't promise anything but that I had a very good chance of going to Officer Candidate School if I wanted. I said O.K. and also signed for special automotive mechanical school. It all depends upon how we come out in our 13 weeks basic training if we get those assignments or not.
We then were all split up in groups according to our classifications and sent to our company commanders for another interview and instructions. Lt J.R. Shackelford is our company Commander and he seems like a very nice fellow. He asked a lot of questions and told me a little of what to expect. He says the first 13 weeks will be nothing but basic training in earnest and that will start Monday morning. It will be all hard work and no play, some here at the post and some out on long several day hikes through the woods and swamps. Some will be digging ditches and trenches, kitchen police, latrine police, and also a try at the obstacle course. He says it is one of the toughest basic training courses he has seen and that it will be especially hard on me because of my age, there is only one fellow older, 32 and the rest are mostly 18-20. He says those young fellows are going to be hard to up with, but if I do my best I will make out alright because only those that were physically fit are in this outfit.
After basic training we will learn to drive every type of motorized equipment in the Army, land forces tanks, trucks, halftracks, Jeeps, peeps, and etc, and learn to shoot two types of rifles, service revolver, machine gun 30 & 50 caliber and 37 mill cannon. So if I live through these first 13 weeks it kind of looks like fun.
Lt Shackelford says it will take at least 9 months to train us and maybe more if we get any special training. Unless we do get some special training we will stay at this camp until our training is finished.
We were off most Saturday afternoon and all evening but it was my luck to be put in quarantined barracks so we couldn't even go to the post Ex. or anywhere and I guess that will be for a week or two yet. The Sargent will go out and get us cigarettes and drinks once a day so it isn't so bad. I will get a good nights sleep anyhow.
Sunday morning. We didn't roll out until 7:30 and had breakfast at once, fried bread and syrup, ham. and oatmeal, coffee. Each place we go seems to feed us better. So far here it has been as good as I ever had anywhere. My cold is O.K. this morning and if we have most of the day to rest I will be in shape for Monday, come what may.
I don't know what the schedule will be but we may be away at any time for several days so don't worry if you don't hear from me regularly. In the Army you do as you are told and if you have time left you can do as you wish so long as you don't do anything they don't approve.
We have some general orders to learn and other things to memorize but not much. I guess I better write a couple of other letters so be good.
Love,
Norm