Dearest Betty---Letters from a U.S. Marine

August 17, 2009
The next 3 letters are the excerpts that my mom did. They were written aboard ship.

Letter #3
Early August 1950
Aboard Ship

Dearest Betty,

Well we are aboard ship, an Army Transport, just out of moth balls. Pretty dirty, but lots of room, run by a Civil Service Crew.

I can’t tell you much that went on from day to day while we were in California. We worked around the clock. I was sent to the Marine Base with a twenty man working party and two NCO’s and one Major. After the sixth day I had forty men, no NCO’s, 1 Captain, 1 Major, 3 LT’s, 1 WO. What a mess----stevedores loading---we loaded five ships. They changed shifts every four hours, and we every 12 hours. The last two days I didn’t get my shoes off. On top of that, one of my boys---just a kid—shot another through the shoulder. I was the the only one up so had to take care of him. Finally got a corpsman and got him off to the hospital. Still had to get statements, etc so the day everything was loaded, we came aboard. Didn’t have time to do anything at Pendleton. Sam brought my lockers. I had only three pair of Dungarees with me. When the troops came aboard, the Major gave my forty men overnight Liberty. That is when I called you in N. Dak. I didn’t wake up until noon the next day and we sailed at five. A very fast ship---should be in Japan by the 27th. That is the dope now---will write again soon. Received both your and Shirl’s letters. Read two pages a day. Thanks a million.