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A LETTER FROM A FARMER, NOW AT FORT JACKSONDear Ma & Pa:Am well. Hope you are too. Tell brother Walt & brother Elmer the Army beats working for old man Minch by a country mile.Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places arefilled. I was shore 'nuf restless at first becuz you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late.Tell Walt & Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to start. Practically nothing. Men got toshave but it ain't so bad, they git warm water n' everthin'.Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs,bacon, n' stuff, but kind of weak on chops, taters, ham,steak, fried eggplant,pie and other regular food.But tell Walt & Elmer you can always sit between two city fellers that live on coffee. Their food plus yers holds ya till noon, when y'all get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys cain't walk much.We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to the mailbox at home. Then the city fellers gits sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat. Ain't got no hills fer miles 'round.Sarge (that's what the fellers call him) is like a school teacher. He ags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors & Colonels just ride around & frown. They don't bother you none.Only been in one fight so far. Some big feller said I lookedawful good in the shower. I didn't like him lookin' at me like that, so I flat decked him with one punch. He shore hit the ground hard. He and the other guys couldn't believe a 120 pounder could drop a 200 pound guy. They been givin' me some space since then!This next one will kill Walt & Elmer with laughing. I keepgetting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eyeis near as big as a chipmunk and don't move a'tall. It ain't shooting at you neither, like them Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and drill it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes. Can ya believe it? Be sure to tell Walt & Elmer to hurry & join before them other fellers get into this setup & come stampeding in.Your loving daughter,Gail There is a fine line between hobby and insanity.