Company B 2nd Plat.
53 M R T.C.
Camp Barkeley, Texas
Wednesday Morning
Dear Mom and Dad,
By schedule I was supposed to write last night. However, I went to the movies and didn’t get a chance to write. That means I’ll probably write Friday instead of Thursday this week.
I was supposed to get paid yesterday but as per usual the army never does anything on time. As yet we haven’t got paid. However, I still have enough money to last me for quite awhile. I can’t spend anything around here except for candy and cigarettes, so consequently I spend very little.
This afternoon I’m supposed to get more shots in the arm. It will probably make my arm sore all over again. Those shots hurt you for about two days. It is just a nuisance to have a sore arm all the time. Perhaps it will be just the same as everything else and not done.
You never know from one minute to the next what is going on around here. There is a schedule posted for the week, but it is very rare indeed when we follow it. Even if there is nothing to do there will be something silly to do rather than having a chance to rest. There is no efficiency whatsoever. If my school was run in such a manner as this place, the school would close in a week. I can’t understand it unless, the commanders are inefficient. Nothing is definite, everything is flung at us. It really burns me up. I can’t see why they waste so much time. I want to learn as fast as possible so that the sooner this thing is settled the better its’ going to be for all of us. Yet they can waste time on so much baloney.
Another thing I can’t understand is this: The equipment of the Army is terrible. It actually has nothing: not enough guns, clothes, etc. Yet we have the money to finance England, Russia, etc. while we are lacking things ourself. I believe firmly that my country should come first and then help our allies if we have any extra. But I can’t get it thru my skull any other way. Am I right?
Well I’ll stop griping now. I hope you don’t mind my writing about things like that. I feel I have to write about them as it is so much part of my life. It isn’t that I feel bad about being here its’ just that those things go against my grain.
I’m really feeling fine and I’m getting in fine shape. The meals and stuff are pretty good. I get plenty of sleep and rest. I’ve gotten in the habit of reading nights until about 11 P.M. The lights go out at 9:30 but the bathroom light is left on. I have to do down there to read. In Upton they had little rooms in the barracks for such stuff but here they use the rooms for sleeping. It is actually to crowded in the barracks. We have 67 men in our barracks on 2 floors. I guess we’re lucky though as a lot of the men here sleep in tents.
I received a letter from Put and I’ve heard from all the gang except Booky. I’ve heard indirectly he is leaving the 13th with the next group from Peekskill. Mary R.’s other boy friend left Monday. It won’t be long before they have us all in the army will it? I also have received mail from a few of the kids. I write a letter to Mr. Cole, Lower School teacher with my address and he must of given it to the kids. I received Kat Burns letter too. She is a pretty good apple even though she is a chatterbox. She and Mike Burn always took a shine to me. – Please tell Leata that I was asking for her and I’ll bring her that cactus when I leave here. I’ll drop her a card this evening. There are so many people to write to that it keeps me pretty busy contacting them all.
I hope we can get into town sometime this week but you never can tell. I’ll write you again soon. I haven’t received that package yet but it should be here this noon or tomorrow. We get mail twice a day at noon and supper. I’m writing this before noon so as you can see I don’t know yet.
Love Bob
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