Year: 1941

September 24, 1941

Dear Folks:

Well mother today is your birthday and I surely do hope that you had a very enjoyable and pleasant birthday.

Have been receiving your cards and I surely do appreciate hearing from all of you.  As a matter of fact I am saving all your letters and cards.

Believe me this is really a very rugged life out here on the range.  But, I have never felt better in my life.

Tomorrow we go to the big range to site in our rifles.  That will be at 200-300 and 500 yards.  It seems like a very long distance but with the type of site we use one can site the target pretty good.

Mother, how did you stand the trip?  I’ll bet you really had a good time.  Wish I could have been with you.

Tonite I am going to turn in early.  I mean about eight because we will be getting up about 4:30 am.

Surely do miss all of you.  Will be glad when we can all set around the table again.

You should see my complexion.  I actually am turning brown on my neck and hands.

Didn’t get a chance to write the Tuesday evening crowd last Sunday but I’ll surely get it written so you can have it next Tuesday evening.

This morning we had a very heavy fog until about ten am.  It was sort of like a heavy mist.

Hope you get rested up from your trip and are soon ready to go on another one as I think it is good for you.

Tell all the neighbors and friends hello for me.

Love to all,

Leo

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September 21, 1941

Dear Mother:

This will have to serve the purpose for a birthday card as I am unable to get one.

I do want to wish you a “Happy Birthday” and may you have many more in years to come.

Also, I wish you all the health, wealth and happiness in the coming year that one may have.

Someday I hope to repay you for all the care and pleasures you have given me in the past.

Love,

Leo

Again I wish you a Happy Birthday and I only wish I could send you more.

Dear Folks:

Well I expect you are on the highway today on your way to Monmouth.  I only wish I were with you.

It is now 9:45 am.  In a few minutes we will go to church so I will have to finish this when I get back from church.

Golly: this weather surely doesn’t seem so good to me.  It gets plenty chilly in the evening and plenty hot in the day time.  Thought I would freeze last evening.

Just got back from church services.  The Chaplain really knows how to get things across.  He surely did preach a splendid service this morning.

I mailed the group picture yesterday.  You should receive it I expect about Wednesday.

Let me know if you receive it?  Also, let me know if Elizabeth received the medals alright.

Dad I surely have been enjoying the cards and I’ll bet you and mother have been having a wonderful time.  Received a letter from Leota and she tells me mother that you now have a radio in the Plymouth.  Dad, how is the Ford running?  I know one thing it surely has a good motor in it.

All we will do this week is snap into the different shooting positions.  Then Saturday we will start firing the 30-30 caliber rifle and will shoot for a week.  All we have shot as the targets so far have been the 22 rifle placed on a 30-30 frame.  I just imagine the 30-30 will kick you a little if not placed properly against your shoulder.

Oh: yes I received a nice mess of crabs off of one of the toilet seats.  About ½ of our platoon has them.  They were all the way up in the hair of my chest.  But, I have most of them killed by now.  The medicine they gave me over at sick bay stings plenty when it is placed on your hide.  But, I’ll have to burn a little to get rid of the pesky things.

I am also going to send you another letter today but by a 3 cent stamp in reply to the Tuesday evenings club’s letter.  I surely did get a bang out of the letter.

Well I have some other letters to write today so I will close for this time.          

Hope this finds all of you feeling fine.

Love to all,

Leo

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September 17, 1941

Dear Robert, Libby and Children:

I am enclosing herewith my bayonet medal and also my Honor Man medal.  After the folks and Aunts see them be sure to mail them back to me as I must have them by October 1^st or sooner if you can.  On October 1^st we have another big inspection.

Today I fired a 45 revolver.  Didn’t do so bad – out of 25 shots I had one bulls eye and the rest in the target at a distance of 25 yards.

Now for the good part—this afternoon we had to crawl through barbed wire entanglement and what I mean crawl.  You crawl with your back to the ground and your face to the sky—quite a feat for a fat man like me.  Although now I am not quite so fat.

Libby, I am sorry to hear that your father is not doing so well.  I do hope that he will improve and rapidly.

Libby, I also received your letter today and I surely was glad to hear from you.  Yes, I do enjoy receiving letters and I also do have a little more time for writing and a little more to write about.

All we have done so far is fall into position with our rifles for firing.  If this doesn’t reduce me nothing will.

My throat has been bothering me a little the past few days.  I believe it is due mainly to the dust.

Brother, I am glad you like your new job.  Keep up the good work and maybe someday you will be Governor.

The mosquitoes are a little bad this evening.  But, the leathernecks can stand anything.

Bobby you & Anne help mother all you can in the tending and care of Mary Alice.

Love to all

Leo

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September 16, 1941

Time 8 pm

Dear Folks:

Received your card from Jefferson City today and I was glad to hear from you.

Am I ever tired this evening.  I didn’t know I had so many muscles that could get sore.  In shooting our rifles at the targets here at the range we have four different positions:  the sitting, the kneeling, the standing and the prone or lying down.  The lying down really gets me because you have to get your arms & elbows in such a hectic position.  But, I imagine at the end of the three weeks I will be able to get it.  Also today we fired the pistol.  It was a great deal of fun.  Am glad I have done a little hunting and thus knew something about guns.

Living here at the range is just like camping out.  It really is chilly when you first get up in the morning.

Yes, mother we are allowed to smoke but that is about all.  My pipes surely do come in handy.  I smoke a few cigars but not many.

So far I am glad I joined.  Nobody realizes just how much you learn and just how good this life is for you.  It really learns one to appreciate the simple things in life.

Out here we get up at 5:45 a.m. so we get to rest a little longer.

Last Sunday we had our church services on the lawn and it surely was beautiful.  At the close of the services we always repeat the Lords Prayer.

I do hope all of you are well and that you folks have a nice trip.

Dad, I don’t believe we will get involved in European conflict just from what I am learning here. I simply think we are going to build up a strong armed force. 

I will close for this time.  Will drop you another line later on in the week.

Love to all,

Leo

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September 12, 1941

Dear Folks:

This morning was the big morning.  I am enclosing herewith my certificate.  Would like for you to get it framed and when they do have them clean it up a little.

My medal is a gold emblem on a shield & on the shield it reads for efficiency.  This medal I turn in at the end of the next four weeks.  But the certificate is mine to keep and believe me I am plenty proud of it.  I almost forgot to give the Colonel a gun salute when he pinned my medal on.  You see the Colonel stood in the front of the Platoon then the Sargent said: Private McLoskey front and center.  I put my rifle on my right shoulder and marched out to the Colonel.  He gave a speech to the Platoon while I stood at attention.  He told them he knew they had selected a good man etc. then he shook my left hand put my medal on me & then gave me the enclosed certificate.  Then I gave him another gun salute about faced & walked to my position in rank.

We had a group picture taken this afternoon.  When I can get one I’ll send it to you.

Tomorrow morning we go to the range.  We spend three weeks their.

As I was elected Honor Man I didn’t have to go on maneuvers the last two days.  I stayed at the barracks to greet the Inspecting Officer.

I’ll say one thing you surely do learn something new each day.

Hope this finds all of you feeling fine.  When do you go on your trip?

Glad Aunt Vera is feeling better.  

Will write again Sunday.

Love to all,

Leo

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September 6, 1941

4:45 pm

Dear Folks:

Today I finished my second week of “Boot” Camp and believe me I am plenty tired.  Mother I surely do know how you feel after a washing and you have my sympathy.  I just got back from scrubbing with a brush and soap and hot water for two hours.  I washed a shirt, pair a pants, pair of hose, underwear, a towel, and all of my combat equipment which consists of a bayonet cover, a cartridge belt, a canteen holder, a 1^st aid kit holder, a mess gear holder and the pack itself.  Oh: yes and a pair of legons.

Monday morning we start on a four day maneuver.  That will consist of a great deal of walking and the carrying of a combat pack on your shoulders plus your rifle.

This morning we had an examination on gas. I know I got along alright.  We also received our bayonet medals this morning.  That is the ones who made expert.  When I go out to the range I will send it home for you to look at and then you can mail it back as I have to wear it at general inspections.

Dad, I got your letter this morning and I surely am glad you and Mother are going to be able to take a trip.

You know I haven’t set in a chair since I left the train.  All we have to set on in the barracks are our locker boxes.

This afternoon I also got another shot in the arm.  That is my last one in the arm but I understand we have to take another one in the rear.

I got a letter back I mailed to you because I put on only two two cent stamps instead of three.

So far I have only one blister but it is a good one.  

Will drop you another line tomorrow.

Love to all,

Leo

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Time 9 p.m.

Sept. 3, 1941

Dear Folks:

I must admit I am really all in this evening.

We got up at 4 a.m. this morning, cleaned the barracks, had chow at 6:30 a.m., physical drill at 7:30 a.m., drilled with our rifles marching on the parade ground from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m., had a gas lecture from 10:15 a.m. until eleven  a.m., cleaned rifles from eleven fifteen a.m. until chow at noon.

This afternoon we had bayonet drill for three hours.  You have a course you run with dummys for individuals.  The course is about 50 yards long and you run and jab the bayonets as you run.  I guess I must have been o.k. because I only had to run the course once and then I stood at a dummy and corrected the other fellows as they came through.  Tomorrow morning we run for the record.  Hope I make it.  I have confidence that I will.  After bayonet practice we washed clothes, had chow and this evening I again have a detail under my supervision to clean the barracks.

Received the glasses o.k. and thanks a lot.

Just got time to get in a couple more lines and will have to finish in the morning.

Well, I made the grade.  Just got back from the bayonet course and tomorrow I will receive my first medal in the Marines as an Expert Bayonet man.  I ran the course in 32 seconds.  The sergeant told me for a large man I could really move.

Have a test on gas Saturday so I had better get on it.  Boy: they really have kept us on the hustle this week.

Love to all, Leo

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Sunday 11:30

Dear Folks:

Got up at 5 this morning, shaved, got cleaned up and attended church at 8:30 a.m.  After getting back to the barracks we had one lecture, polished our cap bills and straps, our good shoes, and dress belt.

As I am now waiting to go to noon chow thought I would drop you a line.

I know we must have walked ten miles Saturday and what I mean my feet are plenty sore today.  Especially my right heel as I have a nice blister on it.

In Monmouth it is now 1:30 so I suppose you have had dinner and also got the dishes done.  The meals the last two days haven’t been so hot.  But on a whole they are pretty good.

You see we eat out of our mess gear.  That includes a metal plate, cup, knife, fork, and large spoon.  After you finish eating you fall in line and then put or dip your dish and silverware into four separate hot water containers and the sun drys them on the way back to the barracks.

We just received our mail.  I got your letter Dad with the stamps and thanks a lot for them & also for mailing the glasses.  I also received Elizabeth’s letter.

Well I must now go to noon chow so I will finish this when I return.

For lunch we had peas, fried white rabbit, beets, rolls, lemonade, potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad, and ice cream.  So we did pretty well today.

This afternoon we have to do some physical drill with our rifles and also clean them and our bayonets.

Am always glad to hear from all of you and I miss all of you.

Tell all the neighbors and friends hello for me.

Love to all,

Leo

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Dear Folks:

This California weather surely is funny.  Here it is nice and cool until about eleven a.m.  Boy oh boy does it ever get hot then.  In the evening it gets rather chilly around nine p.m.

All yesterday afternoon we shined our shoes, belts, belt buckle, cap bill & cap strap.  We have our inspection by the Major General tomorrow and I guess he must be plenty particular.  All the above mentioned must shine good enough for one to see their reflection in it.

Will have to finish this after 6:30 a.m. chow.

It is now 11:20 a.m.—we just got back from walking about eight miles with our rifles and before that we did setting up exercises with the rifle.

We work hard but the time seems to go rather fast.

By the way I am starting to lose some weight and just where I needed to around the waist.

Thanks Dad for the stamps.  They surely do come in handy.

Boy this is the longest I have ever gone without spending so much as a dime.

We will not be allowed out of the camp until after boot camp and I expect by then one will be so tired they will want to sleep for a month.

Have been getting the papers o.k. and I am always glad to hear from all of you.

Hope all of you are feeling fine.  Give my regards to the neighbors.

Love to all,

Leo

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Tuesday Evening

Dear Folks:

Today we marched about eight miles.  I’ll admit my feet are a little tired this evening.

Well, I guess I must be doing o.k. as the Platoon Sargent is giving me plenty of responsibility.

This evening I have eight fellows under my supervision.  These fellows are known as the goofy squad.  They couldn’t even as much as keep step today let alone do the different marching formations.  The rest of the fellows are out marching some more.  I have one of these fellows walking up and down the barracks and the rest sweeping, mopping, shinning shoes, belts, and cleaning rifles.  I am sitting at the Sargent’s desk and writing letters.

Received your letters and I surely am glad to hear from you.  I am also getting the papers o.k.

Sorry to hear about Mr. Hay’s he surely is a very nice man.

My lips are cracked from the heat, sand and sun.

Friday our Platoon has an inspection by the Major General.

Our routine for the next three weeks will be arrive and shine at 5 a.m., chow at 5:30, setting up exercises at 7:30 and then march and march and then get your rifles & do some more marching, wash clothes at 4 p.m., chow at 6 p.m.  Then in the evenings we have lectures or go to the show here at the post.

Thanks Dad for the stamps.  Will close as I want to drop the Aunts a line.  Oh:  yes I also got a letter from Robert.

Love to all,

Leo

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