The Stitch

Quantico, VA
August 10, 1942

Dear girls, darling girls,

You have really been wonderful to me – writing so often that I always get a letter at every mail call – the envy of the squad – and such swell letters. Light, gay, and funny. The best ones you have ever written, Mother, and yours are as good or better than ever, Gretchen.

I hope you all haven’t been worried, but honest to John, I haven’t had a minute. I have never worked so hard and long as I have this last week. Really, you have no conception – I didn’t – of how much one can do. Every minute of the day, and the day is 24 hours long.

They turned the screws on this last week, and it will be worse next – then gradually easier after that, so I’m told. And worst of all I haven’t been at full functioning power so far – when the last week’s shots wore off I got a slight case of dysentery and I had a continuous stomach ache for three days – then the shots again, and now everyone in my bay has a cold and a sore throat, and I think I’m getting that too.

Also I got into trouble last week – while marching, I brushed off a mosquito that was biting Hell out of my ear, and the Sarge ordered me to write out the position of a soldier at attention (125 words) 100 times and hand it in the next morning. Figure out this total – and I am a slow writer anyway – I sat up all night, of course, under a dim red light in the john – just made it, so didn’t have a chance to clean my rifle; so with two thirds of the rest of the platoon I had to write out the care and cleaning of the rifle – taking two and one half hours. Then, because nobody in our platoon could roll a heavy marching order for the first time in one half hour, we rolled them and marched with them all Saturday afternoon, and turn in two diagrams of it tomorrow. We’ve got the toughest Sarge in the company, and he boasts that he’s bounced more men out of this class than any other man in the outfit. One’s gone, two more are going next week; and Stock, the Yale boy, has been canned already.

I haven’t had any warning yet, but he’s got his eye on me on account of the attention thing. He liked it, though, that I sat up to do it. And I have been made squad leader for the weekend, though that doesn’t mean too much; everybody gets it in time. I’m not in danger yet, but another boner and I will be. Believe me, it puts you on edge – I’ve been running awfully close to the wind for the last few days. I figure that if I get through the next week all right, then I won’t have too much trouble from there in.

One fifth of it is gone now, thank God. Officer’s Class is a breeze compared to this. And the climate – Lord – I have never been so hot, and it’s always this way. March for five minutes and your shirt is sodden with sweat. Five more minutes and your pants are wringing wet. I have been perspiring so heavily that believe it or not, it runs down my legs and into my shoes so much that it squishes.

I’ve got to go now – study – we had three exams last week and six next. Tomorrow we throw hand grenades for four hours. And daddy was right – that bayonette practice is the worst of all – God!

All love,
Phil

***

Quantico, VA
September, 1942

Dear girls,

Well, your son and brother is an officer now – meet Lieutenant Wood of the U. S. Marine Corps! Gosh it sounds good – and everything is wonderful so far. All the quarters and so forth, the food – everything more comfortable, roomier, and more luxurious. And you have no idea how much better it makes one feel, being treated like a gentleman instead of a dog – being served, saluted, and respected. The uniforms are swell looking and feel wonderful. And cost like Hell. Honestly folks, you never saw so many charges and supercharges, extra bits of equipment that you have to get, and aside from my one luxury of a Sam Browne belt, I’ve gotten the smallest amount. I don’t know yet, but I think I’m going to spend about 350 dollars before I’m through.

A few more words Tuesday A.M.

Last night – every night – we have a compulsory study hall. And now I’ll be able to get more letters off to you all. Last night a couple of the fellows – I mean Lieutenants – and myself went over to the senior officer’s club – we can go to that and to the bachelor’s officer’s club, and believe me, it is wonderful. The Union League Club has only a slight edge on it. Very comfortable, and the best Scotch and soda on the market for a quarter, Tom Collinses for 20 cents – walnut paneled reading rooms with easy chairs. I can see that many of my leisure hours, and there will be a few more of them now, will be spent in those delightful surroundings.

I went to Washington over the weekend, had a wonderful time – really cut loose for 24 hours – drank a lot, but not too much – spent more money than I should have, but that’s healthy once in a while, too. We tooted all over the town. Got in at five and slept till almost one. It felt really wonderful to relax. People in general weren’t very impressed with a second Lt. In the Marine Corps. They see plenty of them around here, but we had a good time anyway.

Wednesday

Things are crowded again – I knew that the comfort, ease, etc. couldn’t last more than a day or so. We are at these desks ten hours a day every day now, and after the building up period we’ve been having, you get awfully restless and pent up. But we are learning a Hell of a lot. Everything from Naval Law to map reading.

Love
Phil