Feb 23, 1943
Tues 8:00
Dear Folks:
Well I got the letter you wrote Wed Feb 17. Boy oh boy we hurry every minute of the day here. And you know how much I like to hurry. No sir we get up at 5:30 and hurry from then until 5:30 P.M. We have about 3 min between formations in which to change our clothes and polish our shoes and leave everything in order.
Well Jim I’m certainly glad to hear that you are getting your kindling without being told and getting up in the morning. Down here we call that “getting on the ball.” If we get slack we are told that we are “off the ball.”
We get cake and pie quite often. But of course it doesn’t taste as good as the ones “Ma” makes.
You might send me a cow but I’m afraid I wouldn’t have time to milk it. But we do seem to get more milk since we are over here. We also get more bananas. The food is better here.
You are feeding five calves now. Do you have any milk left? Where did you get them?
Well Ma why didn’t you tell me you wasn’t feeling so good? Here you tell me after you are all better.
We had a retreat parade this afternoon. Boy this is lots worse than classification center. We have our Class A uniforms on with white gloves. We stand at attention for about 30 min. We don’t dare move. We can’t scratch or brush flies off or anything because those white gloves show up a long way off.
Maybe I told you but I don’t remember, the classes I have are Code, Math, Ground Forces. Each one lasts one hour. And we have a one hour lecture every morning. We have 2 hours of P.T., one hour of drill and then stand retreat every night at 4:25, except when we have retreat parades as we did today. After supper we are supposed to study. I should be studying right now but I can’t keep my mind on books. So don’t be surprised if I write and tell you that I’ve been kicked out of here.
On these parades, some days the boys pass out like flies. A couple walked off today. If you faint you are grounded. If you walk off you get gigged. They advise us to walk off if we feel sick.
Well I guess I better do some studying. Tell Meredith never mind saving me any beans. We get plenty of beans, corn, peas, carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes. We have mashed potatoes once in awhile. We always have meat of some kind. We get plenty of lettuce too.
Have the kids been going to Sunday School? It was really hot today. I’m sweating right now.
Well I better close now. I’ll write as soon as I can again.
With love,
Alva
Alva’s sisters Dorothy and Meredith and his mother Ethel
Ancestors Across the Ages 