Dearest:;
I'm writing this letter in a closet. Fights were just oredered out and I didn't get a chance to write your daily yet. Its really tough, dear, to find time to write. We have so little time to ourselves. Everything is done in groups and the lines are usually very long consequently you must wait and wait. You can't walk across the street unless you're with a detail. We haven't been away from our post once during free time yet, and as I told you we won't be either till maybe Sunday nite. They're treating us extra tough because they claim we must learn to take it if we want to give it later on as officers. I miss you terrifically my darling, it gets worse every day. I'll be glad when
(over)

the day comes that I can hold you in my arms again and say, Darling. I'm home again. All those thoughts and desires and even dreams yet we're so far apart. Sometimes I feel sick about the whole thing. I shouldn't be saying all of this it will probably make you feel bad but, darling you must know hoe dear you are to me. Well I promised to tell you about my clothing today/ We got everyhting from soup to nuts. Writer uniforms, summer uniforms. (What I'm wearing now and lots of other things. Its very funny but all my clothing fits me perfectly. I have one of those swell field jackets and a canteen and everything. They even give you a safety razor and all the toilet articles you can use. In other words I'll probably have to send everyhting home until I'm an officer and can have some more privaledges. I'm trying to make all my letters different, that is the ones to my parents different than the ones to you, so be sure to read them. Darling I feel very bad to-nite, we got our shots today. I'll write you a better letter tomorrow and tell you more. Good night darling.
P.S. - Hurry that picture

Dearest Wife;
Mom I know what a soldier feels like when he gets mail from the first time in the army. It makes you so happy you feel like yelling your head off. And I did, my one letter was on the toys of the pile. Altogether I got two letters from you my darling and one from my parents. I don't think its necessary to send my mail by air because I got a letter from Mom and Pop dated, Feb 23. It must have gotten here this morning but still two days isn't bad at all is it? I heard yesterday that we'll probably move out of here in about 18 days. You hear so many rumours that you can't tell what's really going on. One thing dear, they're really tough on us and they're making us learn real fast.

They call this post the K.K.K. That means "Kimberly's Koncentration Kamp". The commander here is a broken Brig. General. In other words he was denoted from Brigadier General to Colonel. So they say he really has a chip on his shoulder. So far we've been drilling a coupld of hours every day and I mean really drilling. In hot sun and plenty of dust. Now let me tell you about yesterday that was the best one yet. We got up, like we always do 4:45 A.M., lined up in formation and went for chow. Got back from chow about 6:30, back to polish shoes, make bed, clean up shave, etc, etc, (seems like a million things to do). at 7 A.M. sharp, we were called out nite formation again and marched for about 1 1/2 miles to a gymnasium. These we had to file into hard wooden, bleachers and take a 40 minute IQ and a 2 hours knowledge exam,

means the end of the second exam. My rear felt like it was going to push though my pants., It felt like I had been horse back riding for two darys straight. Well anyway I got through them OK and hope to get fairly decent marks. Oh yes, we had to sit at military attention, no slouching,. After we (Squardron #602) marched back to post and "fell out" for our mess kits and right back into formation again. To the mess hall and another 1 hour waiting in line for chow. This post is really crowded. After that we were marched another 3/4 miles to the Infirmary where we really got the works. First of all we had to stand in line for about 1 hour in the hot sun, then we got it

"Shirts off and nothing in your left hand" was the command. The first stop was a blod test then a soldier plastered us on each own with Iodine, then we got shots one on each side at the same time. Then the next stop you got the "sewing machine" (vaccinations, you saw it in the movies). Two men in front of me had passed out all together and several others looked like ghosts and had to sit down and put their heads between their knees. I took it like I wanted to and stood up all though the whole thing without flinching on affect of any kind. In fact immediately after the shots a detail was formed for a few drills around the sick boys and I was in it. Boy they took a beating. After the shots wore off we marched back to our posts and had about 1 1/2 hours of drilling. Again many of the boys

had to fall out sick. Later we went to mess and it toook so long that we only had about 45 minutes before the lights went out. During that time we had so many things to take care of that. I had to sit in the closet after lights went out and write that last 1 page letter to you. I wasn't feeling so well and the closet was very stuffy so my letter was terrible I guess you'll have to forgive me, my dearest. Believe it or not I've been writing this letter in intervals. Soon as I get started good we're called out. Its makes me darn sore. For instance just as I said, sore, we were called out for mess and I am continuing just about

one hour and twenty minutes later. Oh well thats the army I guess I'm glad I not a "jeep", they're the drafters and as they jerked around. Last in everything and ridiculed to no end. I'm with a very nice bunch of fellows but they're mostly younger than myself, consequently I'm becoming more or less like a father to them. They're all nice boys though very clean cut mostly 18, 19 or 20. Last night our mess was called "very efficiently carried out" and I thought I could write about two letters in about two hours. Here's what happened, We were told that we'd better clean up for a personal inspection by Colonel Kimberly. So we scrubbed etc., etc. until lights were out. I just heard that the men(southeners) across that street one morning out and morning in.

P.S.S - Inclosed in my first Army payment. I still have $20 left so I believe I'll have enough. Be good Darling, Write every day.

In that hotel we have lights out at 10 PM instead of 9 PM. I certainly hope it happens soon. This army is OK all except its very hard to realize that I'm not a free man anymore. We're always restricted to quarters. During the day when we can't even go inside our quarters, we're restricted to the grounds only. Boy they're really though on us. This morning Feb 26, we recieved our first partial payment. It was $10.00. We had to walk up to the paymaster, a captain in a military fashion, salute, sound off with - "Sir, Private Beyers Herbert K., Sir, reporting as ordered, Sir." get our pay execute an

about face and walk off in a military fashion. All that trouble for 10 Bucks. Some of the men really fizzled and the caption was an old grouch anyway, I managed to get it over OK. I just heard that we are ordered out to the parade field this afternoon. That will be real fun. Dust and sweat. See darling, they don't give us any definite orders of any kind. Just be ready at any time and come on the double when called. If you are late for a formation or fail to come out on the double, you "brace" up against a wall or a tree. That's usually accompanied with demerits and much embrassment. I "braced" once darling, you know. Well Dearest, I am hoping for a letter soon, I didn't get one this morning. Bye Bye. More to-nite and tomorrow.


P.S.- I love you very much