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Dear Sis:-
I suppose today you are thinking that the war is all wrong. How did Ben
get away? I hope he will be placed at Camp Lee as I would like to see him.
He is sure to be in line for a good job because he has the stuff to hold
one down. They tell me that the next bunch will go to Ky. I was glad Ben
would be sent down there, Camp Lee is the place. Conditions, training,
officers, etc are the very best there for beginners. I had a letter from
Albert and I'm sorry he got in so bad on his transfer. He is in a
detention camp you know and says were he back at Camp Lee he would never
complain again. I don't know whether he writes to his wife in this manner
or not but don't say anything to her of what I heard from him. My work now
is getting more interesting each day. We are in the Army College for
Scouts, Observers, and Snipers. Have lots of study of maps, airplane
photographs, compass and are just starting on our night training.
We are taken out into the woods and after we get what is called our "night
eyes" we are separated and have to go forward to a certain position,
crawling you know, and make note of all the noises we hear shadows we see,
gun flashes etc. and return by a different route to our starting point. We
have to study sounds most of all such as the noise birds make when they
are frightened, someone digging with a pick, snoring, a cough and
everything like that because our job will be roaming around “no mans land"
at night. This work is for scouts and observers, the snipers are expert
rifle men they go along to protect the scouts and when they find a good
place they conceal themselves and then their duty is to kill enemy
officers, sentries and keep account of it. The whole thing is just like a
bunch of kids playing Indians aside from the study. I am tickled to death
with this job because you act entirely on your own resources except for
certain prescribed methods. I'll be a regular old Buffalo Bill when I get
back. I'm glad we are going north again because it is sure warming up down
here. In a few weeks if I were you I'd go to Camp Lee and look the place
over. You would then know all about how these things are carried on and
once you get a glimpse it isn't long till you get the spirit of the thing.
Hope you are all well and everything is sailing smoothly. You'll hear from
me regularly and I want to know how Ben is doing and his address. It's
time for retreat now so I must close. Ask mother if she told me whether
she got the insurance policy or not. I don't remember. Love to her and dad
and all the rest and we'll all eat Xmas dinner together, I believe.
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