Training in the USA

[Wednesday]
10/28/42

Dear Mom,
​
I’m paying my first visit to a USO Club and am using some of their paper to write you. We came over to Laurel, a nearby town, to get a hair-cut since our barber at the PX got fired. We then came in here to await the 10:21 bus back to camp.

Boy was I tired last night! - we did a 20 mile hike with 40 lbs. of equipment and believe me it is some tussle to get thru that. But it was fun just the same. We have a new young company commander who was our 1st Looie at “B” Co. and he led us in some sports, etc. at the destination point, Indian Landing on the Severn River. And a truck met us with a perfectly wonderful dinner of roast lamb, peas, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, sliced peaches, bread & butter & cocoa. The food is much better at “D” Co. than it was at “B”.

“D” Co. is my permanent spot - at least it is for as long as I stay at the 603rd. and they stay at Ft. Meade. There is some talk that we might go to another camp in this same area somewhere.

Today we had it pretty easy - we were working on a gun emplacement. It is very interesting to see how it all is done. What we will do tomorrow I don’t know.

Tomorrow evening [10/29/42] we have a battalion dance which should be nice, judging by that other one - and I know so many more of the men & feel so much more at home here now than I did then. In fact, I almost feel like an old vet.

I got a letter from Helen Sweeney yesterday and also one from Lucille Crawford. And one from you and one from Thelma [Van Dyne]; so I felt very well taken care of.

It is too bad that week-ends are so uncertain. If I don’t get any detail over Sunday, like KP or guard, and if I get on the pass list I can come home if I get thru rifle inspection on Saturday morning. Yes, I think Herb Amborski may come with me - I’ll tell Thelma when I call her Friday [10/30/42] night.

Well, that is about all I can say for now - the candies are swell - I passed them out, but kept a few for myself. The apples lasted thru today -
​
Harold