Dear Folks;
Arrived here 8:20 this morning. Having my breakfast in the station as we have one hour and 15 minutes stop off here. Hope you arrived home safely and that you had a pleasant trip. Surely did appreciate you going to Chicago with me.
Love, Leo
Weather – Heat terrific Time 9:50 am
Place – Somewhere in New Mexico
Dear Folks:
We left Chicago at 10:25 pm Central Standard Time. All of us have upper berths and the meals on the train are very reasonable. Breakfast – 35 cents, Lunch – 40 cents, Dinner – 75 cents to $1.00.
It is rather hard for me to write as we are now going across the desert and the road bed is not so good. As a result the train is plenty rough.
As I look out the window now all I see is sage brush, cactus, sand, and mountains on both sides.
The trip has been very interesting so far. Have met some very interesting people in our car which is car 7.
Believe me Kansas is surely plenty flat but the crops looked very good.
Surely do hope you have gotten a break in the weather. If it is as hot as the desert Mother, you would lose some weight.
First night out I had a hard time sleeping. I want you to know that I miss you but I do think the military discipline will do me good.
Be sure to tell the gang at the park Tuesday evening hello for me.
We arrive in San Diego at 12:20 pm tomorrow (Sunday). I have in my possession a sealed envelope to give to the Corporal of the guard who will be on the gate at the base in San Diego.
I am going to send the kids, the aunts, and the neighbors some cards from Gallup, New Mexico. We will arrive their at 2:20 this afternoon. Then from their we go through Arizona and on in to California. All you see in New Mexico is Indians and their doby huts. Don’t see how they make a living. Although, I have seen thousands of cattle and sheep grazing.
Believe me this is a trip I will never forget.
Hope all of you are well. Drop me a line when you have time and give my regards to all.
Love, Leo
August 18, 1941
2:55 pm
Place: Quarantine Barracks
(Don’t get excited, they keep us here a couple of days after the shots.)
Table – My locker trunk
Dear Folks:
I will have to agree that this California weather is something. It is hot in the day time but very cool at night.
Yesterday after arrival we had dinner at 4:30 pm. They put us in our bunks at 8 pm after we all took a shower.
This morning we arrived at 5:15 am. Made our beds, shaved and went over to breakfast.
After breakfast we had another medical including a shot in our left arm, blood taken from our right arm, and a shot in the right tail cheek and I don’t mind telling you they really shove that needle in. Four fellows fainted before arriving at the tail puncture but I survived the details so far. As a matter of fact my tail bone isn’t even sore.
The meals so far have been excellent.
Today we also received our locker (a wooden trunk) 3 towels, 2 cakes of soap, scrub brush, shoe brush and polish, a bucket to wash our clothes in, stamps, stationery, sewing kit, and a clothes line. I imagine we will receive our first clothes tomorrow morning. Oh yes we also received a padlock and two keys for our locker. They charge us $13.00 out of our first pay for these incidentals and gave us $3.25 in coupon books for the Canteen. Believe me we have plenty of work to do but I love it thus far.
Oh: yes you should see me. They clipped all of our hair off after lunch and we now all look like convicts.
Please pass this on to Libby & the kids & aunts. I will write them but will have to wait till we get more settled.
Won’t be able to send my clothes until we get our others.
My proper address until you hear further from me is;
Private Leo J. McLoskey
Recruit Depot
Marine Corp Base
San Diego, California
I miss all of you.
Love to all,
Leo
Hello Folks – Send all my mail to the following address:
Private L.J. McLoskey
112th Platoon, M.C.B.
San Diego, Calif. Love, Leo
Tuesday Evening
8 pm
Dear Folks:
Well here is what I have done so far today – Got up at 4:30 am – chow (meaning food) 5:30 am – Drill from 6:30 am to 8 am – got rifles at 8:30 am – spent until 11 am learning it – chow again at 11:30 am – picture taken at 12:30 pm – washed clothes until 4 pm – (I had charge of the whole platoon this afternoon of 63 men) – chow at 4:30 pm – been marching since then.
I am squad leader of squad 5 consisting of 10 men. I have charge of all the men—see they get up—shave, bath, dressed properly and etc.
Incidentally, Band and Leonard of Monmouth are in my platoon.
Believe me they really put you through the paces here but it is one of the best things that could ever happen to anybody.
As yet I haven’t heard from any of you—I trust you are all well—I am feeling great—a little sunburned but I’ll soon get over that.
Please pass this letter around. I have been so darn busy I just haven’t had time to write.
Monday we go to boot camp for 7 weeks. Their we live in tents.
Incidentally we have to make our beds a certain way every morning upon getting up. Mother I’ll show you how it works.
Hope all of you are well—I do miss all of you.
Love to all,
Leo
11:05 a.m.
Dear Folks:
This morning we arrived at five a.m. Had chow at seven a.m. Went to church at 8:30 a.m. Got back to the barracks at ten a.m. and then drilled until just now or rather until eleven a.m.
Tomorrow morning we really start on our training. It is known as boot camp and we have seven weeks of it.
So far I like it very much.
We have to wash and iron our own clothes and what I mean one must be neat and clean at all times.
I also received a new testament at church this morning. The sermon this morning was very good.
Yesterday I had my teeth cleaned, and also a shot in the arm. We have the same shots in the arm as Robert had to take. Some of the fellows got awful sick. Mine didn’t bother me in the least.
Last evening we went to a movie here at the camp. It was concerning
the health of the body. It surely was very interesting and one that everybody should see.
Climate here surely is odd. Last evening we wore an overcoat. You see the movie is an outdoor amphitheater. At night we use two army blankets on us. It doesn’t get warm until about eleven in the morning. Then I mean it really gets hot.
Dad I got your letter and the stamps. Thanks a lot for them, you were absolutely correct.
Mother I surely do enjoy hearing from you and Dad. Hope you are feeling fine.
I will close for this time as I want to write to Robert’s today.
Love to all,
Leo
P.S. When you address my mail don’t forget it is
Private L.J. McLoskey
112th Platoon
R.D. M.C.B.
San Diego, Calif
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
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
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
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
