30 January 1943
Camp White, Oregon
Dear Aunty Clara:
I am dashing this off just before work. Right now as I am typing this letter there are only two other persons at work; so I guess I can finish a page at least before the rest of them come piling in.
That eye cold is terrific. It is closed up half of the time and the other half of the time I can not see out of it because it is continually teared.
I just haven't any idea when I am going to find time to answer any of the twenty odd letters I must reply to. You will explain that to Señor Gonzalez, will you not?
By the way, for my little stunt of getting 156 with the rifle out of 200 points, I am eligible to receive those little silver medals we saw on those Marines on the way back from Milwaukee. Any one who qualifies receives on of those gadgets. They say "rifle" or "Sharpshooter" or "expert" and then they have some for "machine gun" and "bayonet". That is the explanation of seeing medals on rookies. Incidentally, I will send my medal home if I get it in time.
By the way, once more, I had an excellent breakfast this morning of huge pancakes and two bowls of breakfast food.
They haven't mentioned the shaving out on the range even though they (Hanton and Driscoll) had the opportunity to get a good close up look in the daylight at my bearded face. That shows that once we are busy in actual work or fighting they don't bother a fellow about trivialities like that. If I can hold out until we reach the fighting front, I don't think I will have to touch a razor again.
By golly, these boys piled in fast this morning and here it is time to start working. I will try to knock off the rest of this page first.
Blumenfeld had his wife come in and she is staying at the guest hotel for three days. He has been given permission to stay there starting at noon this afternoon until reporting for duty Monday morning. They give a guy a break when his family comes to see him.
When the wars are over, Aunty Clara, and I come home, we are going to come back to this Oregon country so that you can see what this territory looks like too. Incidentally, we will have to get that big house trailer too. Remember the fun we used to have planning that trip in a trailer?
What did Aunty Florence bring home typing paper for me for? I have all the paper I want as you have probably noticed from all the carbon copies etc.
Although we probably will not be able to wear them much longer I think the fellows would buy up those Engr lapel buttons like hotcakes. They all admire the one on my blouse and ask me where I bought it, how much it cost and all kind of questions like that. You see, there are not many who have them and for a rookie to come around with one is something.
I have to laugh at that word rookie. A corporal should be past that rookie stage but as you very well know 2½ months never made anyone a veteran.
So long,
Roman