You will find enclosed a letter to the registrar and the Dean of Men at Monmouth College.
Dad, please take this out and get my records from the college plus a letter from the Dean as the Captain of the tank company wants it as soon as possible.
The sun is shinning today but I have a sweatshirt on under my shirt as it is quite cool in the tent.
This evening they are giving a dance for us here in the tank company.
I will write you more details tomorrow evening as to why I need the records and the letter.
Hope this find all of you feeling fine. Was surprised to hear from you in Quincy, Illinois but I am glad you can get out.
Love to all,
Leo
P.S. Have some more urgent work to do for the Captain.
This has been sort of a dismal Sunday. Today it fell upon me to have the watch at the office this morning so I was unable to attend church service. When you have the watch you march the men over to breakfast and then have charge of them until the officer arrives at noon. Probably won’t have it again for another three months. You know I actually missed not going to the service this morning.
I just finished putting blanco on my pack, my first aid kit, my bayonet scabbard, my cartridge belt, my leggings, and my canteen holder. Then I also shined all my leather goods.
Mother, we all chipped in a dollar a piece and bought a maytag washing machine. Now, all I have to send to the laundry is my kakhi pants and shirts. Yesterday afternoon another fellow and I carried hot water and did our washing. I had quite a washing; six pair of hose, four towels, four pair f skivvies, four handkerchiefs and my three civilian shirts. I can readily see why it makes you worn out when you wash.
Dad, I still enjoy the magazines and the papers very much. Got a great kick out of Durbin and Loxley not being able to pick up Doc Fleenar in Denver. Looks as if the trip cost the taxpayers a little money for nothing.
In this mornings mail I had a letter from Mary Dickson & Leota. Mary tells me that Robert is their agent for the farms and that he will have to learn farming.
Today is quite chilly. Have to have the kerosene stove lighted. It is the first time in quite awhile. We also haven’t had any rain for quite a spell. Afraid I’ll have to dry my washing over the kerosene stove.
For chow today noon we had white rabbit. It tasted pretty good for a change.
Am always glad to hear from all of you and I hope this letter finds all of you feeling fine.
You had just better forget getting me anything for Christmas as you already have done more than enough for me. What do you and Dad want for Christmas?
Not much news but a line to let you know my thoughts are always with you.
Well I have plenty to write in this letter – as Monday was the anniversary of the Marine Corps and Tuesday was Armistice Day I was off from Saturday until this morning. So I spent the holidays with the Whitemans. I am enclosing my pass and property pass to show you how rigid a check they keep on us. Keep them as I will want to put them in my memory book.
The Whitemans drove me up to Hollywood where we saw Jack Benny’s, Wallace Beary, Robert Montgomery and several other movie stars homes. Then we drove on over to Pasadena and had a look at the Rose Bowl. It reminds me of Soldiers Field in Chicago.
The Whitemans and I drove out to have a visit with the Laws. They surely do have a swell home. In the back of their yard they have quite a fish pond and barbecue place with fancy seats, tables and even cupboards to keep the dishes in. We had quite a time reminiscing about the fishing trips we used to have in the old ford and buick. John Jr. left Saturday for the army. He was drafted and sent to St. Louis, Mo. He wants to get into aviation. Didn’t get to see Maynard and his wife but I will some weekend in the future. Tuesday morning Bob & I and two fellows from the bank played golf and Tuesday afternoon Bob, Barbara and I went to a baseball game. Struck it lucky as I got a ride to Long Beach and back with a lad named Key who is in the tank battalion. He visited the Vice President of the bank where Bob works. He is from California and a graduate of Santa Clara. His father is a doctor here in California. He has a 39 ford convertible coup. We rode down to Long Beach with the top down and in our shirt sleeves. The temperature was 87 degrees. I even got my bald spot sunburned playing gold Tuesday.
Last evening on the way home it rained all the way and didn’t stop until about ten this morning. As a consequence I have the kerosene stove lighted this evening. It is awful funny weather. Warm one minute and awful chilly the next.
Received a nice letter from Elizabeth today and also your letters which I am always glad to receive. Thanks Dad a million for the stamps. They surely do come in handy.
Mother, in the letter to Leota I merely was kidding her and you needn’t worry. I am behaving myself and it is just as I told you they really lock them up here for drinking and gambling. I think the civil authorities should have as good control as the Marines do over their men. Really it is wonderful. When one is thrown in the brig they take away first your Marine emblems and then your liberty card. Then they make them work all day long such as cleaning the streets and etc. For each three men there is a Marine standing guard and if one of the prisoners escapes you take his place. At least the Marines get work out of their prisoners and don’t just let them sit in the brig and eat. Also, on their uniforms they stamp “BRIG” all over them.
Also, I received a letter from Mrs. Hayes today. By the way did Grandfather Shawler say anything about receiving my letter?
The Whitemans surely are a swell couple and they treat me swell. They surely do seem glad to see me. Bob’s Plymouth wasn’t running so good so he and I cleaned his carburetor and the needle float. Much to our amazement the car started without any trouble at all and runs fine. As Sara says the Marines have landed and have the situation well in hand.
Will close for this time as I want to shine my shoes before retiring this evening.
Mother, Mae mentioned something about Wilson’s and the will. I’ll get more detail when I see them again.
Hope this find all of you feeling fine. Don’t worry about the trunk. I even believe if it fell two stories it wouldn’t hurt it.
I must admit that the past few days have been swell. The sun has been shinning and we haven’t even had to use our kerosene stoves.
This weekend I am going to visit the Whiteman’s again. Dad, I received the Law’s address and I will also look them up.
Last Sunday morning I went to church and in the afternoon we took some pictures. I am enclosing one of them and I will send you the rest when they are finished next week.
Am reading a good book. The name, “The Ramparts We Watch.” It is very interesting. If you ever get a chance be sure to read it.
This evening after chow I went to the movie. Saw “They Met in Bombay” it was a pretty good show.
The paper I am writing on it the type we use in the office.
Received a letter from Robert today. Was glad to hear from him.
Tomorrow evening after work I must wash some clothes. Yesterday afternoon we drew some more khakis. I got 3 shirts, 3 pair of pants, three pair of hose, 3 pairs of shorts and shirts and a new pair of dress shoes. Oh: Yes and 3 garrison caps. Wait until I send you a picture in them.
Oh: yes in the picture I am sending you notice the steel helmet & the bayonet. The tent in the background is my home. It isn’t much but I’ll admit it is a little cozy.
Tomorrow evening some radio and movie stars are giving a show out here for the 2nd Marine Division.
I notice Aunt Vera’s birthday is the seventh of this month so I am going to drop her a line this evening. Dropped them a line a couple of weeks ago. As yet I haven’t heard from them. But, I suppose Aunt Ella is kept quite busy.
Drop me a line whenever you have time as I am always looking for
mail from home when I am sorting the company mail in the morning and afternoon.
Received your letters and I am always glad to hear from you. Dad, thanks for the magazines, they help a great deal. Mother, I surely did appreciate yours and Annes letters. Anne writes quite well.
Just finished making out the payroll for 148 men and is it ever one tough job. The gov’t surely is particular and I’ll say one thing they surely do keep track of the men in each Company.
They are now talking of putting me in the Quartermaster Department. So I am getting plenty of training.
We never talk about the war here except that we think it is going to end rather abruptly and that the U.S. is better prepared than the average citizen thinks.
I expect you and Anne are having quite a time.
Must admit that today was very nice. It has been so warm that I didn’t even wear my sweatshirt. I ran around in my shirt all day and was quite comfortable.
As a matter of fact we don’t even have the kerosene stove lit this evening.
Mother, I will write Grandfather Shawler this weekend. We are also going to take some pictures this weekend and when they are finished I’ll send you some.
Didn’t use the back of the first page as I noticed it was plenty dirty. This weekend I am going to church and rest.
Dad, I did get a new battery for the Ford. Guess I must have gotten a lemon.
Hope this finds all of you in the best of health.
It is now 9 pm and I am going to retire. Write often as I am always glad to hear from all of you.
I surely was sorry to hear of the death of Elizabeth’s father. This evening I will drop Mrs. Dickson a letter.
Did I ever enjoy myself over the weekend. I visited the Whitemans. One of the fellows here at the camp drove to Long Beach so I went with him. I payed him $1.50 for the round trip. It would have cost me $2.86 a round trip on the bus. We left here about 2:30 pm Saturday afternoon and I arrived at the Whitemans about six that evening. You see it is 98 miles from Camp Elliott to Long Beach. It surely was a beautiful drive as we followed the ocean all the way. We left long beach at ten last evening and I got back to Camp Elliott at 1:30 am this morning.
Saturday evening Bob McCullogh and his wife stopped over to see the Whitemans and we had quite a visit. Then Sunday morning we got up early and Bob & Sara drove me to Los Angeles and we stopped to see Joe and May. They seemed very glad to see us. I saw your house. Joe took me over and I went through it. The house has 2 bedrooms, a bath, kitchen, and a living and dinning room combined. It also has hardwood floors except in the kitchen. The lot I would say is about 20 feet by 50 feet. It also has a garage on it about the size of yours at home. I ask Joe what he was renting it for and he said $30.00k per month. I figure you should get at least $3600.00 for the house and lot. The house Joe & May are living in (the one Uncle Harrison lived in) is nice. It is a corner lot and the house is similar to yours. Oh. Yes he had the living room and dinning room papered and it did need it. The tenants in the house seem ok.
Warren Taylor and his wife came down Sunday and did we all have a nice chat. He and Fannie are just the same.
Sara surely is a good cook and I enjoyed my meals. They have a very nice home. They even have a orange tree in their back yard and believe it or not it is loaded with oranges. They seem to be getting acclimated more to California. They drove me around a great deal and Long Beach is a beautiful city. Say, doesn’t John Law live in Long Beach?
Russell Jensen stopped over to see me this morning. He and his wife are sailing in the morning for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii where he will be attached to the Naval Hospital. We had a very nice chat. He is to be admired for working his way through medical school.
The sun shined all week end but it is raining here again this evening and I just let the kerosene stove as it is a little chilly.
Dad the fellows name is Carl Wiegold who played with Don Stanton. Oh! Yes, Russell Jensen, the Whitemans, the Taylors and McCullloghs said for me to be sure and remember them to you folks.
Mother, I was sorry to hear you had to postpone your trip with Dad to Peoria but it was nice of you to keep Anne. Thanks Dad for the magazines. I enjoy them.
Write whenever you have time as I am always glad to hear from all of you.
Love to all,
Leo
Oh: Yes Joe & May invited me down to see them (May & Joe surely did sing the blues to me & Joe told me had had sent Al, Cora, Mat and Joe $50.00 each of the estate when it is to be settled.)
Received my clothes and suitcase o.k. and thanks very much. I want to especially thank you for the candy, gum and new hose. You don’t realize how greatly I appreciate them.
Dad you ask about my pay. Well I now get $21.00 per month less 20 cents per month for hospital care (including dental work, operations, etc.) less $3.55 per month for insurance. I am enclosing my policy. It is for $5,000 and I have named you folks as the beneficiaries. So I now receive a total of $21.00 less $3.75 or $17.25 per month. At the end of four months my pay goes up to $30.00 per month. Then you get raises as you increase your rank. A pfc or a private first class gets $36.00 per month a corporal $54.00 a seargent $80.00 and on up the scale. At the end of my first eight months at the rate I am now going I should be making $54.00 per month.
Talk about rain—you have never seen any rain in Illinois. It has been raining almost steady here for a period of 72 hours or ever since Monday. You will get a laugh out of this—I have gone back to kerosene heat. It is so chilly we have a kerosene stove going in our tent and also one in the tent we use for an office.
This evening I shined my civilian shoes, my dress marine shoes, my belt and saddle soaped the bag you sent my clothes in.
Oh! The term they use in the Marines for your bed or bunk is “fart sack.” The top Seargent told me to go see if the Captain was in his “fart sack” today and I had to ask him what “fart sack” meant?
Mother, I am doing office work only my office is a tent and with my office work I also have other duties.
Am always glad to receive mail from home and Dad thanks for the papers and magazines.
This life is surely a rugged one but I am enjoying it very much. Haven’t seen any drunkenness or gambling here. As a matter of fact they put those that do in solitary confinement. That is one thing the Commanding General of the Camp here does not permit.
Am glad the Tuesday evening crowd enjoyed the letter. I will drop them another one before long.
Will be seeing the Whitemans this week end–will be glad to see them.
Write whenever you have time. Hope all of you are in the best of health.
Yesterday we moved back to San Diego to the base. We are also living in tents here. We parade before the Colonel Wednesday and then have our final inspection on Friday and then receive our scatter sheets. In the parade Wednesday I carry the company flag instead of my rifle because I was Honor Man. I have to do the manual with it the same as my rifle.
By the time you get this you probably will have read the letter I wrote Roberts in which I explained record day at the rifle range.
The Chaplain surely did deliver a good sermon this morning. He surely does have a splendid way in putting his point over.
Dad, I get the Pathfinders and the front Rank and I surely do appreciate them. Surely is some good reading material in both of them.
Our Sargent’s father died Friday morning. I surely do feel sorry for him. His father was 62 years of age and dropped dead from heart failure while on his way to work.
We had white rabbit for chow today noon. It surely was good.
This afternoon I washed my clothes. All this week they will be inspected every day.
Oh: yes, they had me fill out a publicity sheet today. So maybe it will be in the local paper one of these days.
Tonight I must shine my cap visor, shoes & belt. As soon as I get out I will have a picture taken to send you.
You know this Marine life isn’t so bad. You get three meals a day, your clothes and a place to sleep. Since I have been into it for awhile I believe every male citizen should have to serve one day, I mean one term. Some fellows are in my tent talking and I get mixed up once in awhile.
Mother, I hope you are feeling much better and you be sure to take good care of yourself.
Drop me a line whenever you have time! I always am glad to receive mail from all of you.
Mother I received your letters today and I was surely glad to hear from you. I am sorry you are not feeling very good and I do hope you will have a speedy recovery.
As to your questions—I think four years of this life will do me good. It surely is learning me a good lesson and I will carry the ideals with me the rest of my life. Gee. I sure will have a lot to tell you when I see you.
Had a very pleasant surprise Sunday evening about 6 pm. The Whitemans drove out here to the rifle range to see me. We had quite a chat. I guess they must have been glad to see me. Sarah even grabbed me and kissed me. They are having me up to Long Beach on my first weekend leave.
Dad, I received the package with the medals in it OK and thanks a lot. I also have been receiving the papers OK.
What did the Tuesday evening club think of the letter?
Well we will be leaving here this Saturday for the base. Then about the middle of next week we will receive our scatter papers telling us where we will go. As it looks now they are going to send me to sea school but don’t put this out for sure as I will know definitely.
This Friday we fire for record on the range. I surely do hope I am on and have a good day. It surely is a lot of fun firing the rifle.
Will close now as I want to get this in the mail and get it off.
I will start this letter before I attend church and thus I’ll be able to have it almost complete and will be able to mail it this afternoon.
This morning it is very chilly and cloudy. As a matter of fact it is so chilly I am planning on putting on my overcoat. Washed my sweatshirt yesterday afternoon so it is not dry yet.
Well one week from today and I will be back at the base in San Diego.
Living conditions out here are a little crowded but it is fun because it is just like camping out.
All this coming week we will do nothing but fire the rifle. That means we have to get up plenty early because we have to be out on the range by seven am. The range is about a mile and a half walk from the tent area.
Yesterday I worked in the butts pulling targets and marking them. It is quite a thrill to sit there and listen to those bullets sing over your head. You can’t get hit as there is a dirt and cement barricade in front of you.
Mother, I am sorry to hear you didn’t feel so good on your trip. Now you take care of yourself and just rest for awhile. I know a good rest will do you good.
Dad, I received the draft identification you gave me or sent me. I am sort of the same opinion you are. But the government seems to be doing funny things.
I took out $5000.00 of government insurance and when I get my policy I will send it to you.
Received a letter from Mary Dickson yesterday. She surely is a swell girl. She told me she would be in Monmouth today. Wish I could be with her and see all of you.
Just got the call for church so I will finish this when I return.
What I mean the Chaplain we have can really give wonderful sermons. This morning he talked about God and the fighting man or the man under arms. He brought out the fact that all the great Generals were great believers in God and that it also held true in civilian life that the great leaders in life were all professed and devout Christians.
I’ll bet you will never forget the trip you had. Hope someday we can take a nice trip together.
I now have a little washing I must do and I also must write to the Aunts today.
I surely am loosing weight but I feel much better and one surely does live a clean and regular life. You get into habits which will be good for you the rest of your life.
Am always glad to hear from all of you. Hope this finds all of you feeling fine.
