Letter #7 June 23, 1943

June 23, 1943
2030 Wed eve.
Hello Darling;
I have been outside watching a storm come up. It is one of the meanest looking ones I have ever seen. It hasn't done anything but blow so far but it looks like a bad one. The whole southern and eastern sky is a mass of jet black and smoke colored clouds boiling one over the other and mixed in are a few angry red ones casting a pinkish light over the landscape. Beautiful and terrifying to watch. Great streaks of lightening are now flashing across the sky and thunder is rolling almost continuously. The wind has turned from hot to very nice and cool. I think the rain is nearly here.
Monday evening after we had chow I was just sitting down to write you a nice love letter and the whistle blew and the top kick yelled "All Out", so we tumbled out and were told to pack our field equipment and be ready to move in 10 minutes. We had no idea what for or anything. The army never explains. You just do as they say. They had only called out about 35 names and Max and I were among them. I really felt sorry for Max. He hadn't found his wife until about 1800 Sunday night so she stayed at the guest house and he really hadn't seen her alone Sun. eve. at all. Here was Monday evening and they were going in to town and get her settled in her room and now he had to leave. No time to go tell her even. He got one of the fellows to take her a note.
We loaded in trucks and started out. Leo was along also. We drove and drove and finally halted along the road. The Lt. leading us had lost his way and we were all lost in the woods. The boys were all having a great time and hoping we would stay lost. We had the mess truck and all, along with us so they weren't worried. After an hour or so we finally got back on the right road and about 2230 we arrived at our destination. Way out in the pine woods somewhere, about 50 miles from camp. We pitched out tents and went to bed. Max was sleeping with me and he had a wife back at camp. Rather disappointing.
They hammered the gong at 0430 in the morning. We ate chow in darkness and rolled up our tents and then they told us we were on the combat target range for 30 Cal. machine gun, and would spend the day there.
By the time it was daylight we had our guns all set up and ready to go. There was a series of 10 targets the size of a kneeling man at 400 yards, 4 the size of a man standing at 500 yards, 4 the size of a man at 700 yards, and one target 6 ft square at 800 yards. That is nearly a half mile. We were to fire 3 shots at each of the first, 6 at each of the 2nd and 3rd and 15 at the last. I was one of the first to fire and did fairly well. I had a total score of 74 and was 5th high in the outfit. After we had finished firing, we were firing in groups of eight, we went out on the range to score and paste the holes in the targets for the next group. There is a dugout built of logs and covered with several feet of dirt where we stay while firing is in progress. We are in constant contact with the firing line by telephone and radio and we keep under cover until every gun is empty and then move out to the targets. There is a little motor driven car on rails that takes us to the targets and back. It was interesting to sit there in the dugout and hear the bullets going by overhead. Every third shot fired was a tracer. It has a glowing ball of fire on it so you can see where your bullets are going. You can see them go for a mile or more and tell if you are hitting anywhere near the targets.
By the time all the boys had fired it was chow time and after chow we started all over again. This is where the sad part comes in. I fired the same course over again and when the score was phoned in I had only made 19. I don't know why I didn't hit a single one of the 400 or 500 yd targets, only two of the 700 yd and 15 or perfect on the 800 yd. The only thing I can think of is I was just barely shooting over the first targets so close I couldn't tell I wasn't hitting them. They sure looked like they were hitting. This is once when I fell way down. Not as good a soldier as I've led you to believe. The top score for the day was 181 and I had 93. I only have one consolation. There were 10 below me even then.
The low scores always clean the guns when we get back so I was cleaning guns until 2200 last night. Leo was also cleaning guns, but Max got to see his wife.
She doesn't like it here a bit. They live in the Wyoming mountains and the heat here is nearly killing her. She plans to stay a couple weeks and then go home.
This morning they found a new way to see if we could take it. Loaded full field equipment on our backs and took off on a 3 1/2 mile run and walk march. Time for the march was 25 1/2 minutes. I think it was the toughest one yet but we made it.
I guess that's all the news so I'll look over your letters and comment.
I received your box Sunday eve with the cakes and knives. I went over to the P.X. got a quart of milk and had a feast on cakes and milk. Really was a treat. Thanks a lot honey. You're so damn sweet I could hug you to death if I could get hold of you. You also did O.K. in picking a knife. You're nice.
Glad to hear you have set a date to quit working. You need a rest and beside I never did want you to have to work, but this war changes everything. When you do quit don't kill yourself trying to keep the place up. Do what you want and let the rest go. I won't mind if you don't do anything. I don't want a skinny wife either.
I got your Sat & Sun letters today and the pictures. You look just as good as I've said you did. You look very sweet and happy and I believe a little of the pudgy belly is gone. You look swell. Only one fault. You should have had a tighter sweater on.
The pictures of Mick & Louise are also very nice. From the picture the fence row doesn't look natural but I bet it looks nicer and lets in a lot more breeze. I sure would like to be laying under those trees with you beside me. Sure looks inviting.
well I guess I better go to bed. I love you honey and wish I could be with you. Even though you don't have a tight sweater on in the pictures you look good enough to make me want to come back. If I could I'd start tonight. That's how much I love you. Night honey. The days are flying by and bringing us closer to that day.
your loving husband
Norm.
P.S. I don't know what has happened to the pictures I had taken, but I expect they'll be coming sometime.
your lover.