June 20, 1943. Dear Mary! I sorry I haven’t had a chance to write you before this and I do mean no chances. It seems like all we’ve done is keep on the go continually since Mon. I haven’t been getting to bed until after 12 o’clock for the last 2 or 3 nights. We have to wash out our clothes (that is all our under clothes) because we use so many changes. We also have rifles which we have to clean every night. Plus every morning getting up about 5:30 A.M. to make beds, then we eat chow at 6:30, then we come back to the barracks to finish making our beds, and sweep and mop the floors. We have to hang our clothes just so, have our shoes shined and placed at the foot of our bed just so. I received the letter you wrote Thur. night, today, and I must say it sure is swell to get them. Especially from someone you love. The only thing is I’m sure sorry I can’t write more, but it’s almost impossible to find time except on Sundays. They say after a couple of weeks we’ll have a little more time. It sure sounded good to hear your voice and all the other’s but I won’t make a habit of calling. You see if I call right after chow in the evening, I have a good chance of getting a line right away. There are a lot of the older married fellow in this outfit. It’s sure tough on them. We had 1 Smallpox, 1 Typhoid, 1 Tetanus shot in our arms on Fri evening all at once, and a lot of the fellow’s passed out. It made me feel a little week [sic] the next day, but outside of that I feel fine. You spoke of sending me some money if I needed it. It’s funny, but I was thinking of sending home some of the money I have. You see I still have $20.00, and some change out of the $23.00 I had when I left. So you better use it yourself, or bank it. You also asked about my swimming trunks. No I don’t want them. We jut had a little excitement a fellow just passed out in the latrine, so they are sending them to the hospital to have him looked over. Probably too much sun and hiking. There were a lot that passed out yesterday from over exhaustion. I’m telling you this training is really a tough one. Fellows that have been in the army before and were transferred here say its the toughest they’ve seen. We had a swell dinner today. In fact as I said we have very good meals. But I miss your cooking. I made a mistake in one of the letters when I said I was an Acting Corpral [sic]. The squad leader is an acting sergent [sic]. So that’s what I am. Our barracks are louzy [sic] with bed bugs and roaches, and I’ve got bites all over me. I went to the dispensary and got some medicine to put on them. So he gave me some capsules for my cold. It was all free too. Maybe if I could pass out they would discharge me but I guess I feel too well for that. I send you all my love and imaginary Kisses. Your sincere lover Harold (Punky). P.S. This is some new stationery. H. Langrill
Printed text at bottom of letterhead: Camp Wolters is in Brazos River country. Los Brazos de Dios, the Spaniards called it—The Arms of God. According to legend, a terrible drouth, maybe two centuries ago, dried up the San Saba and Llano rivers to the west and forced Spaniards mining in that region to hunt water. Skeletons marked their trail to the ancient village of Waco Indians, where Waco now stands. After man and beast had drunk, a priest said: “This river has saved us. Henceforth let it be called Los Brazos de Dios.”
Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
