Letter # 49 June 28, 1943

June 28, 1943
2000 Mon Eve.
Hello Honey;
I started to write this letter quite a while ago and then Martin and another southern boy from Baton Rouge sat here by my bunk and we had a bull session about the country, game, snakes and everything. The party had the inevitable bull session ending. Martin took the prize for the biggest lie. It broke up the party. Here it is. He said,"I once saw one of these here coral snakes, and they are the meanest, most poisonous snake in the world, up and bite a mulberry tree and kill it" We began to laugh and he says, "That ain't the whole story yet." "You know." he says. "That snake was so poisonous it killed 2 dozen jay birds that were in the tree eating the mulberries." That one ended the session. I get a lot of fun out of talking and swapping stories with the boys. Learn a little about the country also.
Hano, that is the other southern boy says this is the first time he has been in this section of the state and hopes it is the last. He says the rest of the state is very nice, so maybe I will have to revise my opinion of La. if I ever see the rest of it.
I got your Thurs. letter today. The one you wrote at Art & Mags.
So you are soon to be a lady of leisure again for a while. Have a good time. You deserve a good rest after working at the diner. Be sure to take a rest and don't try to do too much around the place.
Leo got a set of acting corporal stripes today. One of the boys that got them with me "fucked up" and lost his and Leo got them. Leo didn't like the idea very much because of the reason they broke the other fellow. He was C.Q. and was supposed to wake the company in the morning. He left word with one of the guards to wake him and the guard didn't do it, so the company was 1/2 hr. late getting up and that is why they broke him. It isn't hardly fair. No alarm clocks and couldn't buy one if you wanted to. If they are going to be that way I or anyone else may loose them at any time. That's the army, no excuses.
Well honey I did some better on the machine gun range today. We only had time to fire the course once before the sky opened up with one of its downpours and we couldn't see the targets to finish up. I was 2nd high with a score of 88. The high was 91. We sure got drowned. When I took my shoes off back at the barracks I poured a pint of water out of each. For once I was cooled off.
Well I guess I'll have to sign off. I shot the shit too long with the boys. I love you honey and think you're just the nicest thing in the world. Baking me another cake or something and making arrangements to have a substitute do your teaching if I come home while you are working. You're sweet. It's a lot of comfort to know I have such a nice wife waiting at home for me. Night honey,
Your hubby,
Norm