France - November 13 [1944]
Dear Folks:
Paper is kind of scarce right here at present, so I’ll write
on this stuff. While I have the leisure
to write, here in the hospital, I have a matter I want to expound on. Concerning Dick [my brother]. I assume he will get out of high school in
May. He will be 18 in June. Between the time he graduates, and before he
is 18, he must join the Navy.
I write about it at this early date, because it may be
necessary to lay some groundwork. Have
it fixed so he can step right out of high school and into the navy. It sometimes takes a month or so to get
joined up etc., and delay in this case might result in being drafted into the
army. Perhaps they will not take 18 year
old volunteers except thru selective service.
Avoid having to register at all by joining when you are still 17. By all means, make every effort to get into
the Navy.
Dick, you might think differently, and have decided that you
would rather take the army since you have waited so long. If so, just pick a night when it is sleeting,
take a shovel, and go out and dig a hole in the cornfield 2 feet wide, 5 feet
long, and 5 feet deep, pour 6 inches of water in it, and lie down and sleep in
it. You can take the shotgun with you to
add atmosphere, but remember, you must clean it before you go to sleep or it
will rust. Of course you must watch out
for your buddy while he sleeps, so you don’t get to lie down until 2 a.m. Have 2 or 3 grenades in your pocket when you
lie down. Also stick your trench knife
in the ground beside your head, where it will be handy. Pull your .45 out of its holster and stick in
inside your jacket, and go to sleep with your hand on it. Of course your buddy
and you will have to be awake before dawn, ready for a counter-attack. No, the Navy is much nicer...
I heard over the radio where they are starting a fund to
rebuild churches in Italy and Germany.
Don’t give anything to that. I
have been shot at too much by snipers in church steeples...
I’m still in the hospital.
Feeling much better, and suppose they’ll let me go back [to the front
lines] soon... I haven’t had any mail since I left the outfit, so don’t know
the news. Just keep writing and it will
catch me. Don’t worry, I’m O.K.
Love, Bob
Related post... Letters from the Front Line, Part One
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