April 21, 1943
Wed 6:35 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Well folks I guess this is the last letter I will write from here. My baggage has already left. All except for a few things that I will carry in a small bag I bought. Everybody is pretty excited. The lower class men are excited because they are about to become upper class men and the upper class men are excited because they are leaving.
The lower class men gave us a party last night. In their entertainment they imitated a few upper class men. One of the fellows imitated me. He imitated the way I went down the line giving them “at ease”. Everybody got a good laugh out of that.
Today I saw an awful sickening sight. We were standing in the middle of an asphalt road. We were in a formation but we were at ease. There was a lot of horseplay going on when a fellow about 10 feet from me fell flat on his face. He knocked at least 2 of his front teeth out. When he got up all I could see of his face was just one bloody mess.
It is going to be nice in primary. They tell me that at Dallas cadets are treated just like officers. They are treated just like kings. Of course a lot of them don’t stay in primary for very long. But I will.
I was told today that Corsicana has a high percentage of wash-outs. I’ll be about 250 miles closer to home.
My best friend here is going to a different place. He is the first kid that I’ve found that had anything in common with me. We got along fine together. But that’s the way with this army.
Well folks I can’t think of much to say so I will close. I’ll write and give you my address as soon as I get there.
So long,
Alva
P.S. I got a letter from Dort yesterday.
Ancestors Across the Ages 