A Georgia Hike: ‘One of the Fellows Fainted from Sweating’

December 23, 2011 Leave a Comment

Dated April 28, 1943, and postmarked the same day from Camp Wheeler.

Dear Everybody,

I have about 20 minutes I don’t know what to do with, so I decided to write to you.

We are going on another hike this afternoon, so I am resting on my bed right now. Yesterday we went out on a hike and it was pretty hot out. Just as we got back from the hike, one of the fellows fainted from sweating so much, so this afternoon, we all took salt tablets while we were eating. It will take us about an hour and ten minutes to walk the six miles out there and that is plenty fast marching. Read more of this post

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A Soldier’s Pay: ‘You Won’t Get Gyped; the Gov’t Won’t Get Gyped’

December 18, 2011 Leave a Comment

A "word cloud" of the words on this blog since it started. The relative size of the words indicates the relative frequency of that word's appearance in blog posts.

Letter Dated Friday, April 2, 1943; Postmarked April 10, 1943, from Camp Wheeler

Dear Everybody,

I got your letter today and I have twenty minutes to answer it.

It is now 1:00 and we fall out at 1:20. I won’t have time to write tonight because we have to scrub down the barracks and clean our rifles for Saturday inspection.

I didn’t get any letter from Luena, but I guess if she wrote, it should get here soon. Read more of this post

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To His Brother, About His Weapon and His Daily Routine

December 13, 2011 Leave a Comment

Babe's dog tag

Babe's dog tag

Postmarked March 15, 1943, from Camp Wheeler.

Addressed to Master Robert Mauro
500 Lexington Avenue
Mount Kisco, New York
(Why 500? His address was 491?)

Pvt. Frank Mauro
Co. B-4th Trn. Br.
Camp Wheeler, Georgia
First Platoon

Dear Bib,

I received your letter today and it was good to hear from you.

I think I told you my daily routine before, but I’ll tell it again anyway. First, however, I want to get one thing straight. I am still in the infantry, but I am not just an ordinary rifleman. I will carry a two-way radio in the field and I will probably carry a carbine instead of a rifle. A carbine is something the army is substituting for pistols. The carbine weights about 5½ pounds and is about ⅔ as long as the garand rifle, but its range is only about 300 yards. However, it is a fifteen shot semi-automatic, .30-caliber and is just as effective if not more so than the rifle at short range. Read more of this post

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