Letter # 21 May 4, 1943

May 4, 1943
Tues eve 7:00
I don't know yet if I will go or not, I may. It doesn't cost anything except what you want to spend so I guess I can afford it from the financial angle.
I just got a note from K.Kirk asking for all the Medina boys to meet at the Service Club, Sunday at 4 P.M. He has found Henry. I probably will go there instead of on the trip.
As you probably noticed by the dates, I intended this letter to go in Monday's mail but it didn't. We got orders early Monday to pack full field equipment and go to driving range. We had regular driving classes and in between I dug a slit trench and a few fox holes just to learn how, and to learn to cover them so they can't be seen until you nearly step into them. Cover them with strong sticks and then lay sod and bushes over so they look as near like the original landscape as possible.
After dinner we loaded all our equipment on our backs and went for a three hour hike, about 9 miles or so, across hills and valleys, swamps and roads knee deep in dust and to top it off it was the hottest day I believe I have ever seen. Just terrible. To make it still worse they are trying to train us to go a whole day on one canteen of water. That is about one quart and have enough left at night to shave and wash with. Knowing how I drink water in hot weather, you can imagine how I like that. However, I did fairly well. I had a little left when we came in in the evening. They will dry me up to a crisp in this climate. That will take off the excess weight and probably some that isn't excess.
All went well for the first hour and then the boys started dropping out and by the end of the march nearly half had dropped out and some were really out. I ended up by carrying two sets of field equipment, nearly 75# in all. Wilber Curtis, the fellow I mentioned that had just become the father of a new son, was about ready to drop, so I took his pack and he managed to stay it out without his pack, but I had all I wanted and was ready to stop when we got back to the trucks. I never knew I could stand so much heat. We even lost two sargents on the march so it must have been tough.
We unloaded our packs at the trucks and were informed we were going to camp there for the night, so we went to work and set up our pup tents. Curtis and I happened to be tent partners. You see each of us carry half a tent, 2 blankets, tent pole and 5 tent pegs, along with gas mask, canteen, mess kit, toilet articles, rain coat, and change of under clothing and socks, so it takes two men to make a tent by putting two halves together. Curtis as we call him, started to help with the tent and keeled over. I laid him out in the shade and finished the tent, only about 15 minutes work.
By that time the cook trucks had arrived with a tank of drinking water. I was so thirsty I thought I could drink it all by myself but they would only let us have a mouthful at a time. It was the proper thing or we would probably all have been sick. They fed us and gave us salt pills and by that time we were cooled off enough to have all the water we wanted. I bet I drank a couple gallons.
We found a small creek and had a bath and shaved and I was nearly a new man. Pop had come around and was feeling much better. They then took up a collection from all of us and sent a truck to camp for "Coke" and ice, we each had two bottles and I don't know when I ever appreciated them more.
The whistle just blew for our regular Tues. formation to the bowl. I may write more when I get back.
10:00 well here I am back from the bowl and it is still too hot in the barracks to sleep so I will continue this letter for a while.
We stripped to the waist and sat around in front of our tents and talked. By that time most of the boys were feeling fairly good again. That is one thing about this country, it cools off outside almost as soon as the sun goes down and it makes good sleeping.
They mounted guards around camp all night and for some unknown reason I was lucky enough to miss being on duty. The guards were mostly for the purpose of keeping snakes away, by constantly walking around they would keep them scared away. There seems to be a lot of snakes, lizards, and nearly all kinds of reptiles around here. To my surprise I didn't see many mosquitoes but some of the boys complained of being bothered all night. I couldn't very well say because when I went to bed about 9:30 I went right to sleep as per usual and never wakened up until the whistle blew this morning at 5:00. I rested very well even though I am not used to sleeping on the ground.
We had to strike our tents and roll our packs in the dark, quite a job but I got it done. I always was good at feeling, wasn't I? Only I would much rather feel something nicer than a bedroll, for example, you.
After chow we loaded our equipment on our backs again and went back over the same route we had taken the evening before. It wasn't nearly so hard this time. It was still cool and we were fresh. No one that started the march fell out. They didn't allow the ones that had really gone out the day before to go but left them to clean up camp and be ready to move when we came in. Got back to barracks in time for dinner and had regular classes the rest of the day.
Another thing I enjoy about La.is the sunrise, almost as pretty as in the mountains. It is very misty and as the sun comes over the edge between the pines and strikes the mist, which lays in hollows and leaves the hills bare, it looks like a thousand beautiful lakes of various shades of blue and green. Wish they really were lakes. Maybe someday after this war is over I can bring you down here to see for yourself.
I feel good tonight, no ill effects from either heat or strain, except maybe I lost a little more belly. Took my belt in a couple of inches since I've been here. We had a good time camping even if we were tired as hell.
I got a very nice letter from Mom & Pop, and one from Art & Marg, sisters, as well as a very nice one from a party calling herself my very own wife. You sweet old devil. Your Mom & Pop say you are doing a good job and they are proud of you. They aren't the only ones. I am too, very proud.
Guess I better go to bed now and I will write again as soon as possible. I like to write you and hope you can decipher most of it and forgive the bad spelling in places. It's been so damn long since I have written any I have forgotten how to spell.
I love you a hell of a lot more than you know but I'll show you someday, so keep the chin up and I will try to also. I miss you like hell you devil. Good night mummy. I'll be seeing you.
your loving husband:
Norm
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