LETTER FROM A FARM KID

toree · March 2006

(LETTER FROM A FARM KID, AT Parris Island S.C. MARINE CORPS RECRUIT TRAINING.)

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 got to stay in bed till nearly 6 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 til 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 country is nice but awful flat 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,
Carol

Anonymous · March 2006

Toree, this was good! Thanks for the chuckle

4Tsomething · March 2006

Funny stuff Toree! (And BTW...Hi Felicia!)

Living in Texas I can relate to some of this directly. I'm a city girl by necessity, but a country girl at heart. I have many friends that ranch and would have the same perspective as this young man!

My husband did 3 tours of duty in Vietnam in the Army and still eats any meal in about 3 mins! He would get a kick from this clever letter.

Thanks for the needed giggle!
Renee

cowgirl · March 2006

I got this email my kids loved it! My one neice is a lot like this and she married an old bull rider!

Anonymous · March 2006

ROFLMAO ! A farmer here..........understand !!!!

Catherine · April 2006

We used to visit my great aunt's farm in Waterloo, Iowa every summer. My brothers would go out to help her hired hand at 7:00 a.m. and he'd complain, "Half the day is gone." Farm work is tough.

Catherine

debbie444 · April 2006

Cow girl - fancy marrying a bull rider! My husband laughs at me because i stop up till the early hours to watch the bull riding on satellite tv.I guess the nearest we have is sheepdog trials here in Derbyshire!!
Debbie

LETTER FROM A FARM KID

Comments

Categories