Group XIII BTD-AAF-TTC
Atlantic City, NJ
Thursday February 25, 1943
Dearest Mother, Daddy and Anna Ruth,
Before I forget, I am going to take time out and answer all of these questions I have been putting off for the past weeks. The first thing is, I am perfectly well. I have never been in better health in my life. I weigh 168 lbs. which is pretty good for me. I eat like a horse, and I also work like a horse, but I don’t mind it. I am getting in pretty good shape now, so I can take it. If you want me to I will cross my heart, and swear to this. I would like for you to send me my pen. The pen I use is a borrowed one. You asked how many hours a day I drill. They get me up at 4:30 and I am out drilling in about an hour and a half and we drill until about 5:30. They are giving us rapid fire drill now, and is it fast. In other words it is on flank movement right after the other just as fast as they can give them. As for the insurance, I am going to send the policy home. It is for $10,000, and it costs $6.50 per month. You just don’t know how many things there are to buy around here. They charge you 25¢ for a piece of candy on the board walk. It is just too tempting to pass by when you have money. I don’t need any money now, because I am to be paid off Sunday. I don’t have anything that looks like money except one Alabama token, and it doesn’t help here. You ask if I got a pay day yet. I got $10, and I think I will get about $20 this month.
I got a letter from roland Rodgers yesterday. He likes the Navy fine, and was sent abroad last week.
I am waiting shipment now. I graduated Monday and am a casual now. A casual is one that has finished training, and is waiting shipment. I will probably be sent out the first of next week. I will let you know where I am just as soon as I get stationed. I don’t have the slightest idea where I will be sent, but I have a feeling that I will be sent back south.
A lot of cadets are in this hotel with us now. One of them is in the room with us. He is from N.Y., but is a pretty nice fellow to come from that part of the country.
They took pictures of the group I graduated with. I bought one, and will send it home when I get something to put around it to ship it.
I can be a drill master if I want to be. Personally I wouldn’t have it. They get the same salary as a Cpl. but they are still Pvts. and they also have a hard time getting away from it.
I went down to see Roy McCelug last night. He has started some kind of night course, and was getting ready to go when I got there. I talked to him about 20 minutes. He came to see me last Sunday, and I was not here. The place where he lives in not nearly so nice as it is where I live.
We have just had a fire drill. We had to climb down 14 stories of stairs and wait for the hotel to be emptied, and then climb back up. I don’t think I would ever get used to climbing stairs at double time.
One of the boys in the room has a radio now. I enjoy listening to it, but I wouldn’t have one. They are too heavy to carry around when you move.
I hope you and Paul are having a good time wile you are at home Anna Ruth, and I know that you are. I know that mother and daddy would like for you all just to stay. I wish I could be there while you are, but I don’t guess that I have a chance to get home for a little while yet.
One of the boys in the room has just announced that he thinks he has the Measles. I hope he doesn’t, because we will be quarantined for 14 days if he has. He does have a lot of little red bumps on his back.
It is getting late, and I must go to bed. Here hoping that you all have best time possible while you are together. Write soon.
Lots of love,
George
