Dear Ma & Pa & Barb & Ann & Ele, Letter No. 2

Pvt. Anthony J. Curcio 1-17-43
4th Receiving Co. Letter No. 2
Camp Upton, NY

Dear Ma & Pa & Barb & Ann & Ele,

Things are starting to slow down now. So I'll start to tell you about everything from the beginning.
We arrived about 4:15 PM and we were given company no's. Then we got a checkup for diseases and then went to chow. The food is far from that at home ma but it's not bad. At any rate they certainly give you enough of it. I got lima beans, spare ribs (which I didn't eat), potatoes, rice pudding, rice, macaroni, coffee, bread, and butter. I usually don't finish it there is so much.
Oh I forgot to tell you as we arrived the army band played "You're in the Army Now" and the "Strip Poker," some fellows felt like dancing, but they had to stay in line.
As we went from the reception house to chow the fellows said "watch out for the hook." Well we heard that so much we were beginning to get scared. Well I'll tell you what it means at the end of the letter. I'll keep you all in suspense.
From chow we got toilet articles which composed of 3 towel, a neat little shaving kit, shaving brush, tooth brush, & comb. Then we were assigned to our barracks, I got the very last one in my company, the letter is Z. The barracks are pretty nice, they are made of wood frame construction, and are ke[pt] warm by 3 coal stoves. The first night we were taught how to make our beds.
After we got in our barracks, we had to go right out again to take our I.Q. tests. Boy I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open. When he was reading the instructions I didn't hear a word he said. My head was spinning with confusion, not because it was hard, but because I was tired & trying to catch on to everything. But I'll tell you how I made out a little way down in the letter.
From the exam we went to get our "dog tags" as they call them. We have to wear them around our neck at all times no matter where we are. They are two brass plates with my name on & my no.
We finally got to bed about 10:30 - Everything was alright.
They woke us up [at] 5:30 in the morning. They woke up Joe at 4:30 - why I don't know. Then we washed up & came back to our barracks. One moment we wash in the next minute we were to chow. But before we went to chow we had to make our beds for inspection. For breakfast we had ham & eggs, milk, coffee, an apple & 3 plumbs. From there we got off a little time so I wrote you a letter & Grandma a short letter for fear that I wouldn't have chance to write today, but here I am writing, waiting to be called out for something or another. Then we went to the classifying office & I was interviewed. I stressed structural drafting, so where they will place me nobody knows. There I found out that I got 120 & 131 in my I.Q. test. Joe got 107 & 116. So I guess I made out alright. I thought surely he was going to top me, but those are the results. Ma[y]be because I was tired, I thought a little more, who knows.
From there we got our clothing. Gosh it was so heavy some fellows couldn't carry it. But I did. See ma you got a pretty good soldier anyway. We got 64 pieces including toilet articles which I mentioned earlier in the letter. We got one overcoat, one jacket, full jacket, 2 pair of woolen pants & 2 k[h]aki, 2 woolen shirts & two k[h]aki shirts, 2 pair of fatigue pants & jackets, two sets of woolen underwear, 3 summer underwear, 2 ties, 2 barracks bags to carry all your clothes in, 1 canteen, 1 cup, 1 portable eating tray with spoon, fork & knife, 5 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 caps & 1 jeep hat. I may have forgot something but they gave us so much I don't think anybody could remember it all, no less carrying it all.
From there we got the "hook," finally. You get 3 inoculations--with the first one, you can't move your arm for a day. You keep it bent--known as the hook. Then we ate spinach, potatoes (mash & sweet), ham, cauliflower, coleslaw, bread & butter, ice cream & coffee. We also got our receipt for the insurance (enclosed). In the afternoon we got a speech and a picture on self protection from diseases. Then we had chow. We had the night to ourselves. Now we just get assignments and wait for shipment. I believe if you can get over 110 in the I.Q. you are eligible for candidates school. I'll have to check on that. I think I am on K.P. tomorrow for 19 hrs. but if I get a chance to write, don't worry ma I will.
You feel alright, don't you ma? That's good. I knew you would. Well so long for a while.

Your Caring Son & Soldier Boy,
Tony

The envelope also included a copy of his Application For National Service Life Insurance. On the back it says:
Keep this ma for your record.
Love,
Tony