4th Receiving Co. Barrack Z Letter No. 6
Camp Upton, NY Rec'd #2
Dear Mom, Pa, Barb, Ann, Ele,
I received your letter at 4:30 again and I was so happy. I also received on from Grandma & Aunt Anna.
You say the kids say that you ask me a lot of questions. Well ma here's my answer. I try to write as much as possible to give you an idea of what camp is like & how I feel about army life, but there are always some things which slip my mind or never even occur to me. So if you want to ask me any ques. it's OK. In fact the more ques. the better, then I can get more of an idea of writing interesting letters. Isn't that right ma?
I'll admit of course that ma[y]be my letters aren't to[o] interesting now. But once I get to a permanent camp things will start to happen. I will get drill, and learn things, then I assure you better & interesting letters. As I said before this is a camp where they try to place you in the place where you'll be most fitted for. In the meantime they give you something to do to keep you busy, so that you won't be idle. So they give you details to do, some you just sit around, some you have to do a little manual labor. In fact no matter what you do here [it] makes no bit of difference because there are only buck privates who are just like one of us to tell us what to do. I'm getting used to this now and it isn't so bad. In fact when I get to my permanent camp I really think I will like it except that I am away from home. I guess it's much harder for all you at home, because when I get to any other camp they will keep me busy. But I will never forget my home, and all those I love, that's one thing I can always dream of an hope I can resume in a very short time. Having a good home like I have and receiving letters from home will make me one stp better than the rest of the soldiers. That's a medal I will have pinned inside of me all the time even tho I don't have a couple of stripes on my arms or the power to tell others what to do. The more dreams I have & the more letters I receive the medal will increase in morale, courage and all the other qualities that make a good soldier.
It takes the army to make one appreciate the comfort and pleasures of home.
Ann thinks a log for giving the scarf to Dot. It was really swell. I don't think a family can get along without a kindhearted person as yourself. Ma[y]be we did bicker once in a while, but I guess you really appreciate the things you did,, once you're in the service.
It's too bad [you] all didn't receive the package. But I guess he will get it when things calm down.
I will certainly look forward to see you if I do get to a near camp. Ma[y]be you call can come out & see me, including Elfrieda. Boy if you all could come out that would be some treat.
The stamp on the envelope make me feel like somebody. I bet they do rush it to[o]. Right.
To take up where I left off in the last letter; On Sat. I got a detail at one of the warehouses, from 9:30 to 11:00 we listened to the radio. There was really nothing to do so the sarg. left on the radio so we could enjoy ourselves. That was the first time I heard a radio since I got here. Although they have got a jukebox at the P.X. But it's too crowded there you really don't get a chance to stand still and listen to it. But I really don't mind.
In the afternoon we got a detail sweeping around the coal boxes. That took us about an hr. Then we went to the barracks & rested.
Sun., today, there was another shipping list but I still wasn't on it. The sarg. said we could go to church so I went to 8:30 mass. Boy was is jammed. Upon leaving the chuch we all go[t] a a scapular to protect us. I will enclose it so you can see it, then you can send it back to me. I had the rest of the morning off. In the afternoon I watched the barrack and that is where I am writing this letter.
Boy there is certainly a change in temperature out here. First when we came here it was muddy, then the mud froze. Then it snowed. & today it's so warm out you can go out without your coat. But I won't ma. That's one thing I learned at home.
I hope Ele came over Sunday (today). I only got one letter from her so far I guess she thought I would be shipped. If you get a chance to call her it would be swell. Do you have any trouble calling here? The number is WA5-2300 & ask for ext. 4.
Well I think that's all for now. Ma[y]be I will got to the show tonight if I can get on the line soon enough. You have to wait for everything around here. So until my next letter, all take care of yourselves. I am.
Your Loving Soldier Boy,
Tony
Tony
P.S. This letter is written a little clearer. I got a hold of a table to write on.
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