Letters To Home - February 22, 1951

Fort Benning, Georgia
February 22, 1951

Quiet day today, but guard duty tonight. Time for a few thoughts about army life.

Basic training at Fort Dix was spotty. Our training cadre was from the New Hampshire National Guard, and was, in my humble, probably uneducated opinion, not up to par, except for a few exceptions. We did learn Military Courtesy, close-order drill, and were exposed to a variety of weapons. Some did not work as advertised, especially my personal M-1 rifle. People who, before they entered basic, knew little or nothing about guns did learn something, but, mostly, training resembled controlled riots. I was supposed to learn something about the 60 m.m. mortar, but, on the day my section was to go out in the field to shoot, I was put on something I will call "chair detail." Worked all morning carrying folding chairs from one place to another so that other sections could be briefed on a weapon or two. When Lt. Willis discovered that I knew nothing about the mortar later in training, he was quite upset. He had been in World War II, believes that training comes first.

Supplies in basic were a constant problem. Not enough cleaning supplies for weapons, a severe shortage of toilet paper.

Wrong people were put in positions of authority for no apparent reason. Here is a sample: we were loading onto trucks one morning, heading for the range. For some reason, our acting corporal wasn't happy about the slowness of loading, and actually kicked the fellow in front of me, telling him to move faster. I let the guy know that if he kicked me, his survivors would be weeping over him in a few days. Nothing happened over this, but certain threats were made. That guy should never have been in a position of authority, even minor authority.

I sincerely hope that the guys in Korea are faring better. And that is another sore spot with me, and not a few others. Why are we even there at all? We won the war, and let peace fritter away, apparently because it is politically unpopular to go all out to win anymore. Who has an answer? I had better destroy this portion, lest unfriendly eyes gaze upon it before I'm free to go home.

Went through the infiltration course twice last night, once with the lights on, and again in total darkness. Easier than the one at Dix. We carried just our carbines, not the big M-1 rifles, and the barbed-wire was high and loose. The machine guns shot quite high over our heads, and were using tracers almost exclusively. Really, I do believe that we could have probably walked through it safely. After all, we artillery men aren't supposed to be crawling around through mud and barbed-wire. We ride.

Leave Sunday morning on a 10-day maneuver. We'll be supporting the 22nd Infantry Regiment, and will be shooting over their heads. I think my old friend Ray is in the 22nd. We put on a demonstration Monday for the 22nd, and we've been practicing extensively so nothing goes wrong. We have one large tent for our gun section instead of individual 2-man tents, and were issued fine sleeping bags.

Lt. Cox says that when leave time comes, we'll most likely be getting at least 10 days, maybe two weeks.

Bought a radio last week-end in Columbus, but, to tell the truth, most of the music is pretty terrible. Hill-billy, or worse. Apparently all the good music is broadcast during the daytime, because it surely isn't on at night.