Nov 14, 1943
Dear Kay─
What would you say, if you were in the army, if you caught K.P. one Sunday, and then guard detail the next weekend? Thats [sic] what happened to me and its [sic] certainly taking the pleasure out of life in the army. At least I hope I can get to see a show tonight. Monday morning we go out to bivouac again, but oh, my furlough starts Friday.
It gets to be pretty cold at night here. Last week (out in the field) one of the fellows set up a cup of water out to brush his teeth with in the morning. Came the morning and he found a layer of ice on the top. Now, I don’t think Hawaii ever gets that cold in most places. In camp though, coal heaters are used. Only worry is getting hot water to bathe with.
We went through the infiltration course. Thats [sic] the business of crawling through machine gun fire, or rather under the fire, for an approximate 100 yards; with combat pack and rifle with bayonet fixed.
There are several barbed wire entanglements to crawl under, on your back, and hence a lot of ripped clothing. Then they also blasted dynamite to similate [sic] artillery or mortar shells and some of the fellows came through covered with mud from head to toe, face included. I came of [sic] comparatively clean.
Its [sic] pretty damn tiresome to crawl that far but when you’re on your back and you see the tracers pass over you, (every fifth machine gun shot is a tracer) you know you’re not going to stand up. Its [sic] safe as long as you dont [sic] stand up, and nobody got cold feet. However, men are known to have been killed on similar courses.
The best part was that officers and non-coms had to go through it too. That included the battalion commander, a lieut [sic]. col. In our platoon, our sergeant got the most mud on him and did we get a kick out of that.
Everything else around here is the same as usual.
Hal, I don’t think, Hal gone of [sic] his furlough yet as I saw him a few days ago.
On my furlough, I’m going to New York by way of Chicago. I’ll drop you some post cards from wherever I stop.
I’m on duty in about 15 minutes so I’ll have to report to the guard house now.
so long
love
Stan
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