Camp duties in South Carolina

310.10.1-3.2016 Transcription

27 Sept 44

Dearest,

It seems that each day I have a gap of 25-45 min

Just before supper (served 5:45PM) & it is kinda far back

To the huts so I just hang around. There isn’t a really

decent place to hang at, so I either drink a coke

or sit here at a dispensary desk.

Anyhooo, tonight I thought I had better “talk”

to you while the “talking” was good as much may

come up to cancel writing time. 1^st is the fact

that Alec Templeton is starting at 8:30 tonight.

If I hope to get any kind of seat I had better

scoot fast to change clothes & clean up. I want

very much to hear him but I will say it is

going to be sort of a chore to get there (location

of auditorium, bus inadequacies, etc). Then after I

do get there it is going to seem pretty unsensible

to stay very long BECAUSE we have to get up well

before 5AM tomorrow to go onto the firing range

for carbine & automatic pistol—the chief

point being that you need all the sleep you can

get before such a workout. However, if no

Officer Call etc comes up I think I will hear

Alec for a short time & then get some sleep

so as to not be too lousey out on the range.

After everybody assembles at 5AM I must drop

out to be negro-nurse-maid until probably close

to 10AM & then have an ambulance rush me out

to the range. At best I guess I will miss the

show firing of the carbine & be there only for the tail

end of rapid firing of the carbine (DAMN THOSE NEGRO’S).

not their fault, of course

[2]

Yesterday & today I got away from negro-

nurse-maiding around 10AM & did get in on

Gurand & pistol (today). Sooo, maybe I can keep up

this double-jump-duty for 2 days more.

Finally, this noon I got off the Wis[consin] Alumnus

folder c̅[1] all its additions. Alas a poorly (very poorly)

wrapped package of baby shoes from Mrs Campbell.

Don’t laugh at my reinforcement of the string c̅

ahesive tape as it was all very hurried.

Probably they won’t arrive for 6-7 days. Which

reminds me—even your air-mails

seem to take 3 days, though once in awhile

they make it in 2 days. Kinda lousey, eh??

How do my air-mails step-along?

Lastly, about mail, let me try to express

something. [Please know I am not hinting or soft-soaping or

the like, as I know how you feel about writing in general].[2] BUT

never before coming back to Ft Jackson did I

realize just how meaningful & helpful &

relieving those things called letters can be.

Things being as they are c̅ you, c̅ Thump[3], c̅ me,

it is so much more valuable to have that

wonderful thing called mail communication.

God bless the fellow that invented long distanced

communication!

God bless you & Thump c̅ AML[4],

Dave

P.S. I enjoy & love my picture of you & Thump so very, very much.

[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”

[2] Bracketed text is part of original.

[3] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.

[4] All my love.