Dear Folks

Well, after supper last night we had to stay in our barracks so I wrote a letter to Robin. The lights go out at 9:00 P.M. but you don't have to be in until 11:00 P.M., 2:00 A.M. on Saturday night. This morning we got up at 5:45 A.M. and made out bunks, washed, and then we marched to chow. Our barracks are on the opposite side of the square from the chow house so we have to march around the square to get there. After chow we were lined up and taken over to the imunization center. There they looked at our throats and had short arm inspection, they also took a blood type. They put a gaget on the end of our finger and then snapped a spring. It felt like a bee sting. We then moved down the line and two different men took the count, to check on each other I suppose. After that we went into another building and had Typhus and Tetnus shots. We had to take off our shirts and then two men stuck in the needles, one on each side at the same time. We then went into another room and put our shirts on. The first five minutes my right arm was sore but that went away and now my left arm is sore. It just hurts a little to raise it. After that we went back to our barracks and waited until 11:45 AM when we went to chow. We had chicken plus a lot of other junk. After chow we were marched to the supply house and got our uniforms. First we were given two big canvas bags and told to take all our clothes off but our sox. We put our clothes in one bag and then went to a guy (the next in line) and put our foot on a board that was graduated to tell the size sox we wore. Then a guy measured our waist and chest and yelled the dimensions to the guy behind the counter. He gave us three pairs of dark sox and three pair of white ones. The white ones are sweat sox made of cotton, the others are dress. He also gave us three pair of underware. White shorts and shirts, and three pairs of heavy underware, they come in two pieces and look like a track suit. They're 25% wool. It's so hot here I doubt if I'll ever wear them. We then put on a pair of sox and light underware and went to the next man who measured our feet while we were sitting down and while we stood. he wrote our size on a piece of paper, stuck it in our sox and sent us to the next man. This guy tried a shoe on your and if it didn't fit he tried another. Then when you were satisfied he wrote the size of the shoe on your issue paper and sent you one. The next guy measured your waist, chest, arm, and leg. There was a gaget that looked like a T with a base on it. You straddled it and he raised it to the right height and read your length. He didn't measure your head but he asked what size you wore. All this was recorded on your issue sheet. Then you sent into the issue line, first you were given a shirt to put on, a guy checked it to see if it fit and if it did you got the rest of your shirts. Two winter ones and two summer ones. Next in line was the pants. This was the same procedure. We got two winters and two summers. Then came the belt, neckties, two of them, and blouse. The blouse is a suit coat. You got the field jacket at the same time with your rain coat. Then came the hats, a winter and summer overseas cap, a cap to got with your fatigue suit and a inside of a helmet. The inside of the helmet is plastic and very light. After the hats we got on overcoat and lastly, our shoes, two pair. They also gave us a razor, comb, towels, tooth brush, canteen, mess kit and ho yes, two pairs of leggens. We had to carry all the stuff plus our civilians to our barracks that was about a mile away. By the time I got everything in order at my bunk it was time for supper. After supper we went back to the barracks and then we had the evening free. I went to bed while the rest of the cadets (only 15 of us in this barracks) went out. I had a fevor from my sunburn and I wasn't feeling too good. This morning I was still feeling pretty low so I only ate some cream of wheat, toast, and an orange. We didn't do anything all morning so we played cards in the barracks. After lunch, I ate everything they had, we marched to the theater and had the articles of war read to us. We saw a movie on the articles and another one on sex hygene. That took all afternoon so when we came back it was time for supper. I was in bed before supper and fell asleep so I missed chow. I didn't mind because I was still feeling low. I've been sleeping since 5:30 P.M. into 8:30 P.M. now and I feel much better. I'll be alright by morning.

You could send me some things, I guess. A chain or string to tie my dog tags on. I don't need any hangers because I got three down here and that's all I need with the two I brought with me. You could send me a shoe shining kit, preferably a small one. I guess that's all I need so far. I haven't spent any money yet, no need to. I will have to pay for my laundry. I could use a small box to keep my writing paper in , any old cardboard box will do if it's shallow. the only discouraging thing about the army is whenever you go anywhere you rush to get there and then have to wait for such a long time. I almost forgot, last night I was a fireguard. I had to see no one smoked in bed and that no strangers came in the barracks. My shift was from 9:00 to 12:00 P.M. Well, I guess that's all for now so I'll write more later,

Love, Rae

P.S. I won't be here over two months. Probably a month and a half. I hope.