April 15, 1942 - Bivouac

Wednesday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

I have now returned from bivouac and am perfectly all right. I’ll give you more details about it later. I’m now waiting to go to the second show so I’m just starting this and will finish it later.

I received both your letters and it sure was good to hear from you. Dad’s letter I received on bivouac. I was also glad to hear that I was home and Mary called up about me. The only trouble was that no one told me about it. Unless I get shipped east (I hope) I won’t be home for a few more months anyway. I see by the Peekskill paper that one of the fellows who was drafted with me and is in Alabama was home on a 5 day furlough. I don’t know how they do it. I can’t even get a day off around this camp, not even Sunday. Oh well, our training period is just about finished. I might have to hang around for a few weeks waiting for shipment but there won’t be much to do. I guess I’ll have to stand it for only a short while longer. I still have a hunch that I’m going to end up back east as I told you before. I sure hope so as I’d like to get home for a few days anyway. Keep your fingers crossed.

I’m going to the show now and I’ll finish this thing later.

It is now after 10 P.M and I have just returned from the show. It was very good.

------

They woke us up Monday morning ½ hour earlier and we rolled out of camp at 7:20. After walking 12 miles we finally arrived at the bivouac area at about 1 P.M. We then pitched our tents and fooled around. At 3 P.M they called us out walked about 1 mile away from camp and told us to go out in the field and lay day. We did that and did absolutely nothing - until 5 P.M when we walked back to camp. Don’t ask me why we laid down as I don’t know.

After spending a sleepless night on the ground on our pup tents we awoke at 6P.M. At about 8 P.M. we moved out of camp about a mile + a half. We were supposed to be the infantry and thus the casualties. While we were running through the field a lieutenant shot off 3 firecrackers to simulate warfare. 3 little booms! Then we were supposed to be hurt so I laid down and went to sleep until 11:30. In the afternoon I got a special detail job and managed to do very little work all afternoon. In the evening we had a big fire just like the boyscouts. The first sergeant, who is a typical hard boiled army man (a second John ????) was drunk and entertained us. You would have to hear him to appreciate it. He really is good old egg.

Calabrese and I built ourselves a mattress out of straw and brush just like the boy scouts and managed to get a halfway decent sleep.

Up at 6.P.M again and out the field as casualties to sleep again. At 10AM we came back and struck our tents. At 1PM we rolled out of bivouac camp and walked 12 miles home. I was dead tired when I hit camp but after a shower I felt fine again.

So that ended bivouac. It really wasn’t hard except for the walking with the heavy pack. You have to carry all the stuff you need and I image it weighs about 60 lbs. It sure gets heavy after a while. I got myself marvelous sunburn. Not a bad case that hurts but a nice start on a tan.

I’m going to buy the radio Puff bought for five bucks and take it with me. I’ll have to scrape like the devil and I might ask you for a few bucks later on. However I’ll give you plenty of notice.

I’m going to bed now so I’ll write again soon.

Love to All
Bob

P.S. In another two days I graduate to a eagle scout and get my badge.