A pleasant summer evening...
falls upon the Harding Homestead and Family Ranch. Ma and Pa Harding have already taken their place on the porch after a long, hot day and a belly fillin southern meal. Sippin on sweet tea and watching the swifts dart around the sky, they started gossipin about who they saw in town and what all their kids where up to now.
Walt and Elmer Harding were seen strolling up to the house after finishin their evening chores. Boys acting like boys, even in their late teens, were pushing and trying to trip one another while pickin up rocks and bettin who could hit what.
Making it up to the porch, still trippin each other as they walk up the stairs, Ma Harding is heard yellin at the boys to cut it out before someone gets hurt. Walt and Elmer respond with a synchronized “Yes Mam!” and walk over to sit down next to Ma and Pa.
After Pa Harding grills the boys bout’ their evening chores, he asks the boys what all their fixin to do?
Walt looks over to Elmer and mouths “You ask em’”. Elmer gives a look of, Awe man, then looks down at his feet and asks, “We’s hoppin you’d read the letter again.” Then Walt chimes in sayin, “Yeah, can ya Pa?”
Pa Harding gives a quick look over to Ma. Ma gives a little smile, looks over to the boys, and gives a nod. Like a jack rabbit runnin from a coyote, Elmer starts to run inside, fixin to fetch the letter. Not before Ma Harding yells out to Elmer, “mind your feet!”
Returning faster than a chigger itch on your foot, Elmer hands the letter to Pa.
He sets down his tea, clears his throat, opens the letter, and begins to read,.,.,.
Dear Ma and Pa:
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 5 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and 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 lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there’s warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It’s no wonder these city boys can’t walk much.
We go on “route marches,” which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it’s not my place to tell him different. A “route march” is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don’t bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don’t know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don’t move, and it ain’t shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don’t even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain’t like fighting with that ole bull at home. I’m about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I’m only 5’6″ and 130 pounds and he’s 6’8″ and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
Original Story By:
Campfirestoriesandsmore.com
"Letter From A Marine", Written By:
Bailey, John. Post Scripts.
Philadelphia: Macrae Smith Company, 1952. (pp. 190-191). Click HERE For Source
A Farm Kids Letter Home From The Marines
(Audio)
Background music By:
“The Marines Hymm” (instrumental) “The Presidents Own” United States Marine Band. Click HERE
“Just Over In The Glory Land” Banjo instrumental music-Pixaby.com/music.
A Special Thanks To:
“The Ranch”