Saturday, March 6, 2010

Letter from a corpsman (US)

Seems like this is the first half hour I've had to myself since we got here.

In a fashion, this base is like the grounds of a college except many of the buildings are identical because they are company barracks. When a person looks around, he gets the impression that it's a clean military center. Between the barracks and buildings of more importance, there are long, smooth stretches of paved drilling space. The two-story barracks are built in an H shape and contain four companies each. You can rest assured that when I say these barracks are clean, I mean just that. Two hours a day, one hour in the morning, one at night, we clean every inch of our section.

We had a Captain Inspection this morning and everything had to be perfect. I'd swear we stood at attention, rotating with parade rest, for an hour and a half. For inspection, which is every morning, we have to have our work shirt pockets buttoned and empty. Nothing is allowed in our overalls' front pockets. Also, our undershirts and hats have to be clean, and we have to be clean shaven with no side burns. For everything that isn't, a demerit is placed against our company.

We have six classes to catch each day, three in the morning, and three in the afternoon. We have already learned the Semaphore code and the 16-point manual (exercises done carrying the rifle). We do march to mess hall, wait in line for about an hour for a pretty good meal, and, after the meal can stroll back to our barracks to fix our clothes, make our bunks and get ready for inspection.

After we finish supper, we have to take shower, shave, brush our teeth, shine our high shoes (boots), wash three or four pieces of clothes, roll up a couple of articles we didn't get done earlier, clean up a section of the compartment, fix our bed, and write a letter if we have time left. Taps blows at 9:30. The rest of the time depends on our Company Commander, Saunders. If we get what he wants done in good time and get in mess line, we eat earlier and have all evening. So far he seems to be a fair guy. If he doesn't like the way we do things, he can make us march Sat[urday] and Sun[day]. And there is a Recruit C.P.O (Chief petty officer) whose name is Collier who tells us what to do about half the time. He takes over when the Commander isn't there. And there is an Assistanct Recruit C.P.O., Barnes, who takes over when the C.P.O. isn't present.

There are some Alabama, Texas and Georgia characters in our Company. I don't mind the marching, but I'm in front of some Alabama hillbilly who marches like he was chasing the cows over stones in a creek. He's always on my heels and never in step. Got to sign off for now.

Love, Jerry

6:02 PM

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