a personal account from walter gilbert little united states marine

8/19/2019 A Personal Account From Walter Gilbert Little United States Marine

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A PERSONAL ACCOUNT FROM WALTER GILBERT LITTLE

UNITED STATES MARINE

FOREWORD

Our family comes from many names. Myself, I’m an Evans, which connects me

through my fathers’ mother to the Little family of Hughson, California and to my Uncle

Walter Gilbert Little, “Gib.” You do not have to be an anthropologist, traveled to the

farthest reaches of Africa, to catalogue complex family relationships and clan systems.

The Little family makes up a large clan of families across multiple generations. Its family

relationships stretch the far edges of blood kinship to embrace everyone however far

removed left, right, up, or down the family tree. In reality, Gib is not my uncle but my

cousin. Everyone is either a cousin or an uncle/aunt in our larger extended family. A

great portion of the Little family still remains in and around the State of Missouri. The

California Littles represent the portion of the family that came out to hopes of a better life

during tough times in early 20th-Century America. Trying to compare our family to those

depicted by John Steinbeck is not reality. While Steinbeck captured an extremely small

niche of California life in his writings like Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, there

were many, many other examples of families who came out West never having faced

Steinbeck’s depiction of Depression Era California. For sure times were tough for the

Little family but they built success and lived. They grew their farms and businesses

despite the grim pictures presented by popular media.

The California Little clan gathers regularly but only as near as possible to a whole

at Thanksgiving and at our annual Little Family Bike Trip. Both events often find more

than 80 or 90 of us in attendance during the family head count. The Thanksgiving

gathering required the family to rent a local hall because we were just too many for any

one of the family homes. The family bike trip was a bit easier. During the weekend

gathering and ride, we all slept out under the stars with tarps to keep the dew off our

sleeping bags. As a young man, I first met my Uncle Gib at these family gatherings. My


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best memories of Gib were from the family bike trips. He was rail thin, even gaunt

looking, with muscles of steel from years of work on his farm, and still a very imposing

man. During our bike trips, Gib always wore a pith helmet and carried a whistle like a

drill sergeant. The whistle came in handy as he was in charge of organizing the morning

calisthenics. In true Marine fashion, he’d form the whole family up and lead us in a pre-

ride exercise.

My most vivid memories of Gib came during my time at university. Gib invited

my cousin Kelly, also attending the same university, and I on a backpacking trip into the

Sierra Nevada Mountains just north of Yosemite National Park. Theoretically, we were

hunting deer but we just ended up carrying our bows around for a weekend of hiking.

After meeting up at Gib’s farm, my cousin and I were promptly schooled on the art of

ping-pong. We always held out a hope that one might overcome Gib’s prowess in the

game, but he handily won every match we played. Shortly before we headed to bed, Gib

had a review of our equipment. While my cousin and I sported a healthy kit laced with

the industry’s finest packing equipment, Gib carried only a WWII Marine issue pack with

original wood frame, a simple sleeping bag, WWII-era military messkit and canteen. Gib

also took care of our meals: one can of Vienna sausages each and a slice of bread for

lunches, one can of beans or chili for dinner to be cooked in the can over the fire with his

wire hanging device attached to a stick, hobo-style. Local water only, no treatment

devices or chemicals for Gib. About half way up the trail I realized how much I wished

for Gib’s Spartan pack, wondering why I needed so many things on my back.

After setting camp, we made an evening hunt to the top of Arnot Peak, just over

10,000 feet high. At the top, Gib introduced me to a hiking tradition of peak-top caches.

The mountain was named after California’s first Superior Court Judge of Alpine County,

Nathaniel Dubois Arnot. Judge Arnot’s family had placed a memorial plaque and a small

cache box with Arnot family pictures. The cache also held a hiker’s logbook for all those

who made the ascent and happened upon the cached box. Gib had made the Arnot climb

for years and through the logbook had carried on conversations with other hikers and

hunters from around the world whom he never meet.


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After our first hunt, Gib cooked our beans over the fire and told us a story of

Ernest Hemingway’s fowling exploits in Paris. As Gib understood the story, Hemingway

used to feed the local Parisian pigeons, gaining their trust, so he could grab and wring

their necks as he passed them into his bag for a later meal. True or not, the story got my

cousin and I thinking about the campus ducks at our university. Lovely fat fowl, fed

many a sweet slice of Wonder Bread.

Well, it did not take much for us to find our way to the university arboretum with

a loaf of bread. In short order, we had the fattest ducks eating out of our hands, and then

just as quickly into our packs for a duck dinner later that night. Our guests for the evening

meal would never had been the wiser, had not one of our girlfriends joked about the

ducks coming from the campus ponds. Too bad that we could not help but laugh and gave

away our secret. To this day my cousin, a respected State Department embassy doctor,

and I, an officer in the Air Force, have never lived down our campus duck hunt. At each

family gathering since our fowling days, the campus duck hunt story has been told and

retold with ever increasing aggrandizement and theatrics. I’m sure Gib would have gotten

a kick out of it. In October of 1991, while day hiking a loop from Yosemite’s North

Dome to Yosemite Falls, Gib made a wrong turn and fell to his death just as he neared

the valley floor. It was a hard day when my cousin and I returned to Arnot Peak the next

year to write Gib’s memorial in the Arnot Peak cache book.

Gib’s letters and diary entries provide wonderful insight into Gib Little. Gib had a

knack for poetry that went right along with his sense of humor and teasing that all the

nieces and nephews experienced time and again. In his writings to his sisters, I can see

that we were not the only ones to take Gib’s teasing. Those letters show the great love he

had for his younger sisters, Rayetta and Vera. While the Little family did well in their

move to California, Gib’s many references to the amount of food and eating well in the

service showed that times were still hard and money a bit tight. His letters revealed great

frustration in not being able to help out during the family harvest and his inability to get

into the fight while other Marines went forward. Gib found himself in a support role,


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guarding P.X. supplies and working at airbases, always one or two islands back from the

action.

Gib began his Marine Corps service in California. In January of 1944, Gib Little

arrived in San Diego California at Recruit Depot Marine Corp Base and began training

for his eventual deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. As

Gib wrote in his letters, he was able to “see some country” while island-hopping: New

Caledonia, Guadalcanal, New Hebrides, Bougainville, Tulagi, Green, Munda, Russel,

Treasury Group, Los Negros, and Emirau. The family noted that Gib spent time on

several ships; however, family memories sometimes fail to accurately remember the

names of those ships. Some of the ship names are correct and exist in the records, while

others have no matching ship name or reference from the historical record. As related

from the family, Gib spent time of the following ships: USS Rochambeau, SS John T.

McMillan, USS President Tyler (no matching historical reference), Navy Ship K-9 (no

matching historical reference), USS Cape Meyer (no matching historical reference), and

the USS Charles Carroll .

If I look out from the point of my relationship to the Little family and all its clans,

the U.S. military and war have been part of our family from the earliest days. Two Little

brothers fought in the U.S. Civil War, one on each side of the conflict. Gib and his brother went to war in WWII along with my father’s father, his brother, and his brother-

in-law. My father’s father’s sister worked in the Richmond Munitions facility of

California, adding to the “Rosie the Riveter” mystique. My father’s stepbrother continued

that tradition with service from Viet Nam, to Desert Storm, and multiple rotations with

recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before he retired from the U.S. Army. My

service began in 1999 and has taken me around the world from South Korea to Europe,

with multiple rotations to the Middle East. Until I joined the service, I knew very little

about our family’s wartime service. War just was not talked about. Once I wore a

uniform and had put a few deployments under my belt, it is as if I had passed some

fraternal organization’s rite of passage. My uncles began to talk about their service time

with me. My Uncle Mac and I have spent many a night over homemade beer talking


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about his service in Viet Nam, and our time spent crossing paths in various Middle

Eastern countries.

The early death of many of our family’s war veterans has left a great gap in our

family history. I know that my father’s father served in WWII with the 89th Infantry

Division in Europe. I have walked his company’s route to their crossing points at the

Mosel River and the Rhine River and their eventual advance through Germany to the old

Czechoslovakian border, now the Czech Republic. His brother saw service in one of

Patton’s divisions; however, little else is known of my great uncle. They just never talked

about the war, at least with those who would never understand. All we have now are

discharge papers, a few training records, and some faded medals. I have been able to

piece together some of their histories but have lost any chance of their personal insights.

With Gib’s sudden death in 1991, we never had the opportunity to talk about his WWII

experiences. His letters provide a moment to make up for some of the missed

opportunities. I wish I had had that opportunity, and not just his wartime letters and

poems.

Gib’s experience represents a different perspective of WWII rarely seen in

popular writing, if at all. War and the warfighter have been spoken about, volumes

written, and miles of film portray the archetypal superhero. Depicting the warrior, thespecial operator, the dramatic, and the exciting make movies sell for Hollywood. The

Private Ryans, the John Waynes, and the Navy Top Gun pilots have become synonymous

with the military. In reality the majority of military service is spent supporting those very

few archetypal figures. Gib’s writings represent a culture in and of itself that few scholars

have embraced, few outside of the support community have written about such mundane

aspects of military life. Never the less, they are a fundamental part military life, one that

has changed little in the last 65 years of the U.S. military. It is not to lessen what these

heroes have done; Gib’s account is an account of the other service member. It is the story

of a quiet, professional man who spent his service time in the kitchen, on guard duty, on

details, and in the service of those who went forward into battle.


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Gib’s wife, Bonnie Little, transcribed his original letters after he passed away. As

Bonnie typed Gib’s letter just as he wrote them, I have done no less. Gib’s letters,

postcards, diary entries, and the notes from Bonnie Little have been retyped just as she

had typed them years ago. For reader clarity, I have taken the liberty to annotate each

entry with the type of correspondence: letter, postcard etc.

Michael EvansJanuary 7 2012


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ORIGINAL FOREWORD

This is a compilation of letters Gib wrote home while he was in the Marine Corps.

Some are repetitious and some boring and he admitted some were written because he

didn’t have anything else to do. However, I didn’t leave anything out. His time overseas

was mostly spent on Bougainville the largest of the Solomon Islands, not Guadalcanal as

was stated at the memorial service. He was really disgusted to have spent all his time

there and it shows in the letters. This was more of less part of the occupation forces and

they were supplying arms for the war going on up ahead. He once wrote to me that he

was going to volunteer to go to the front lines but as he said what he wanted to do didn’t

necessarily happen.

Bonnie Little


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A SELECTION OF PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE LITTLE FAMILY


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Date of Photograph Unknown.


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The Little Brothers Posing after WWII when J.Don Returned from the Korean War. From

Left to Right: J.Don Little (U.S. Air Force), Darl Little (U.S. Navy), Gib Little (U.S.

Marine Corps), and Dallas Little (U.S. Army).


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Gib Little’s Farm Truck and Trailer Outfitted for the Annual Little Family Bike Trip. GibLittle, in his Pith Helmet on the Left


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Gib Little, in Pith Helmet on the Right, Getting Ready to Start the Annual Little Family

Bike Trip.

Gib Little, and his Pith Helmet, Leading the Family in Morning Calisthenics Before the

Day’s Family Bike Ride.


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Gib Little and His Wife, Bonnie Little


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Gib Little in Later Years on His Farm in Denair, California.


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Gib Little on his Last Climb of Arnot Peak and Final Deer Hunting Trip with his

Nephews Kelly Briden (the Embassy Doctor) and Michael Evans (the U.S. Air Force

Officer), August 1991.


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WALTER GILBERT LITTLE, “GIB”

UNITED STATES MARINE

Postcard San Diego

January 4, 1944

Hi Folks,

Got here o.k., have been waiting around all day. Got here this

morning about six. Just got done shaving. It’s about time to turn in now.

Don’t know anything for sure. Have no definite address yet so don’t write

‘till you hear from me again. Think I will have about seven weeks boot

camp then maybe furlough. Don’t know anything yet. Had good feed

today. Will write again when I can give you my address. My bunk mate is

from Georgia and he sure talks like it.

Gib

Letter January 6, 1944

Hello Folks,

Well another day gone by. Feeling fine. Got two shots in the arm.Kind of sore. Have a lot of equipment now. There are 63 guys in the

platoon I’m in. We will not have any time off for at least 7 weeks and

probably no for 12. Haven’t had any trouble so far. Saw a little excitement

on the train I caught from L.A. A negro tried to choke his girl friend. She

swiped his money. But nobody got hurt. By the way when you happen to

be in town wish you would get me a combination lock if you can or some

small lock with a key. No special hurry but the drill instructor said we

would need one before too long. Had a little too much money so bought a

bond ($18.75) and $3.00 worth of stamps. Will probably send them home before long. Shipped my civilian clothes home today but probably be a

long time getting there. They will come collect so you keep down my bill

and I will settle up. They say you don’t have much choice as to what you

want to do so don’t be surprised at anything. Got a new bunk mate. He

came from Idaho. Boy, they come from all over. Haven’t done much yet


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Hello Folks,

Got your letter today. Thought was never going to get it. Besides

having a cold and a lot of sore muscles I am doing okay. Boy, they do

everything on the run around here. The way they eat would make dad look

awfully slow. You really have all you want to eat, plenty of milk most of

the time, but no biscuits or cornbread. I am living in a hut now. There are

about twenty of us in it. There are about 60 men in our platoon. We have

three huts. We are arranged in huts according to size. I am in the small

size. The drill instructor calls our hut the feather merchants. The guys are

a pretty good bunch, they come from most every state. We have double

deck beds, I have an upper deck. My mate got sick yesterday so I am allalone. I mean on this bunk. There are about 19 more guys in here, too.

Boy, I thought it was supposed to be warm down here. It is pretty cool

when we get up in the morning. We get up about 5:30. We have one

minute to get dressed and lined up in front of our huts. We sleep with our

socks and sweat shirts on. We have two blankets and a large overcoat so I

don’t get cold. After we line up we do double time for five minutes, that

means trot. Then we come back and shave, wash and fall in line for mess

(breakfast). After breakfast we come back to huts and clean them up and

make up our beds and they have to be made just so so. Then we go out anddrill for about three hours, that is marching and learning how to handle our

rifle. We come in for dinner between 11:00 and 11:30. After dinner we go

back and drill some more ‘till about three then we come in and shower and

do our washing. About 4:00 or 4:30 we eat again then come back and hang

out our clothes. Then we have a little time to write or study or clean rifles

and shoes. We usually have something to do at night. Last night we went

swimming. You have to be able to swim 50 yards. Some of the guys

couldn’t swim at all so they have to take lessons. Before we get out of

boot camp we are supposed to be able to swim it with a 50lb. pack. I will be here in the hut for about three weeks then we go to the rifle range for

three weeks more then we come back to the huts for one more week. We

are supposed to get a ten day furlough then but they do not promise for

sure so am not counting on it very strong. You are supposed to only have

about 5 to 7 dollars in cash so bought a bond and some stamps. You don’t


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need to send the lock, I got one now. Glad to hear about the clean milk and

be sure and get the trees in right. Yes I saw Jimmy Haffner on the train.

He went to Los Angeles. Sorry that Dal came down after I left. So he is

just an ordinary soldier. My bunk mate is from Georgia now. We have

changed around several times. All of our equipment is in a large canvas

sack. It is called a sea bag. It is sure hard to keep everything in order.

Well, I have had to stop and start writing again about three times. It is time

to fall out again so I will close for now. Be sure and write. Will try and

find more time to write later.

Gib


Hello Again,

I am sending home some war stamps, a bond and insurance

certificate. The insurance is made out in mom’s name. I told them I would

like to have it made out to both your names but they had some kind of an

excuse. They do things so fast around here you hardly know what you are

signing or doing. But I don’t have any intentions of collecting any

insurance on me. Besides, I think my hide is worth more than ten thousand

dollars. I am doing okay except have still got a cold.

We sure are getting tough down here now. We use spike mails fortoothpicks. ha I am wondering if my clothes have got home yet. They say

it sometimes takes a long time. It’s about time to fall out to go to a show

so will close for now. As far as going to see Helen we won’t even leave

the base until we finish boot camp. Write whenever you can. Got a letter

from Speedy yesterday. If Dave or Spike writes home, be sure and send it

on down. Be sure and write if you get these. Should have them insured but

have not got time to go to the post office. I almost forgot to tell you, I had

some teeth filled yesterday. Boy, when they do that drilling it sure raises

you up in the seat. They filled 8 of them. I was surprised that my teethwere so bad. Most everyone had some filled. Guess that’s about all for

now.

Gib


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Hello Folks,

Well, today is Sunday and we didn’t do very much today. I got to

catch up on my sleep a little today. They sure don’t give you much sleep

around here. We don’t go to bed ‘till about ten and get up about five thirty.

We just got our wash done and brought in. You guys would probably get a

kick out of watching me wash and sew and make beds. Some of the guys

sure have a heck of a time. I am sure glad I came from the country instead

of the city. I have gotten pretty well acquainted with a fellow who used to

teach chemistry in high school. We march next to each other and eat

together. He was plenty soft when he got here but he is doing better than I

expected him to. He was drafted in. He has a wife and baby at home. Mostof the fellows in my hut are between 18 to 21. There are a few married

ones. I think I wrote that we were called the feather merchants because we

are so short. We had our picture taken today. I think we will have a chance

to get one so if I do will send it home. We are dressed in dress greens,

combat jackets and cartridge belt bayonet and rifle. By the way I have

learned how to tie my tie now. I imagine we will be plenty busy this week

so may not get much time to write. They tell us we have a lot to learn in

the next 6 weeks. I guess it will only be 6 more weeks until we get out of

boot camp but don’t know where we will go after that. I guess it alldepends on where they need men at the time we get out. There are about

fifteen thousand Marines here. But have never seen any fights yet. No one

seems to get mad but at the drill instructors and the mess men. The drill

instructors are pretty good all but one and no one likes him. The Corporal

who is our head man was on the Wasp when it was sunk. That is what the

other D.I. said. One of the guys asked him if he had ever been across but

wouldn’t answer. Well that’s about all for now. Write when you can.

Gib


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Hello Folks,

Just a few lines to let you know I am still here. Was glad to hear

that Alpha is getting along alright. Tell Helen that I don’t think Leroy

would get to see me if he came over here so he better not come at least

until boot camp is over. Tell dad that rifle I got is a Garand. The best. It

will shoot seven miles. It has a speed of 2680 feet per second. We will

shoot at a 20 inch target at five hundred yards when we go to the rifle

range. I’ll be surprised if I hit it but most everyone does they say. We

don’t shoot it yet. Started practicing with bayonet yesterday. Boy, these

city fellows are sure finding it tough but it isn’t so soft. We got some

platoon pictures so I am sending two home. I guess you will recognize me.I am second from left in second row. Boy, I sure was frowning. The three

men in the middle without rifles are the drill instructors. Most fellows like

two of them but the one on the right (Andrus) no one likes. All three of

them have been marines for quite a while. The one in the middle was the

one on the Wasp when it was sunk.

Tell J.Don not to let a little thing like the flu get him down. That’s

what he told me.

We had a parade today. We had fifty pound packs, our rifles,

bayonets and canteens. There were about a thousand of us in the parade.We marched for a while and then had pack inspection. You have to take

everything out of your pack then repack it in short order.

Well, just got back from chow. Sure feed good.

Gib


Hello Folks,Well, today is Sunday and we don’t have so much to do so I will

write some more. Tell Rayetta that I was kind of surprised to get her letter

but any time she can to write some more. Besides I think she needs

practice in typing by the mistakes she made even though she claims to be

head of the class.


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I will be here at the base for one more week then we go to rifle

range for three weeks. Then we come back here for one more week and

then we break up. That is we go to line camp or the place where they need

us. The drill instructor said about ninety per cent of us would probably go

in the infantry. You get a chance to say what you would like to get in but

they put you where they need you. What did you think of the pictures?

They are quite a bunch of guys. Most of them are okay. Some of them do a

lot of complaining because most of them were drafted.

We got some more shots yesterday so no one feels too ambitious.

Most of the guys are cleaning rifles or writing letters or shining shoes.

There sure have been lots of guys that have got sick since we started. We

have lost about one third of the guys that started with this platoon. I still

have a cold but it is getting better.

I volunteered for visitor duty this afternoon. Don’t know exactlywhat I will have to do but I heard that we go to the visitors section and

then when someone comes in to see someone we go find them. I hardly

know my way around here so I may have quite a job.

Well, I don’t seem to be able to think of much to write so will

close.

Gib

Letter February 2, 1944

Dear Rayetta,

I will write this to you but it will have to count as a letter to

everyone. So Hughson beat Ceres, good. I got a letter from Bonnie and she

said they got beat. Boy, will I kid her. Darl must be getting on the beam or

something. But tell him 5 points is not very many.

You asked me if I had gotten a letter from Geneva. No, I haven’t.

Tell anyone that has spare time to write me. I will answer everyone I can

because there is nothing better here than mail call.I got a letter from Alice Orr and David Baptista. David wrote that

he was on emergency call for overseas duty. He sent a picture of himself

and another fellow.

What did you mean you are getting better grades than I used to

get? You never did see my report cards when I was a freshman and


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sophomore. After I started playing sports they kind of dropped. Honor

points. Phooey. Teacher’s pet.

Tell those guys to get those trees in right. By the way have they got

the pipeline completed yet and how is the feed holding out for the cows?

Bet it is getting kinda low.

I have been on the snapping line all day. This is where we learn to

aim our rifles. Boy, they sure get you in some cramped up positions. You

do as they say too and not as you like. We may fire real ammunition

tomorrow. They don’t know for sure yet. They sure have different ideas

here how to fire a rifle than they do in civilian life.

So they thought I was Jack Brown when I wrote about our rifles

shooting seven miles. Well, all I know so far is what they say and that’s

what they claim. By the way we clean and take care of them, they should.

They are a pretty wicked looking weapon when you fasten your bayonenton the end of them.

I have a magazine here that I will send home. I won’t have time to

read it anyway. Maybe you guys will. That part on “Boot” Mary page 62

and 63 is a little example of what we do. By the way tell Mary Jo I think

she should write me a letter. She’s got lots of time. Well, write when you

can.

Gib


Sent to Rayetta

Well, Did you get ant sense out of the other side of this? This is

what they call a moron letter. I got it in the mail and thought you might

understand it. Besides I don’t have much place to keep the mail I get.

Tell mom I didn’t get the letters she wrote while she was visiting

Alpha. Maybe they’ll come yet. Today is Sunday and we are having it

easy today. I am writing this laying on my back on my bunk and writingon my knee.

I imagine you guys are probably sleeping or you probably have

gone down to see Mary Jo. Do you still go see her every half hour? Maybe

you guys have gone to the show. How is the gas holding out?


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I should quit writing and go out to the range and practice snapping

in, but my arm is too darned sore. Some guys just came in to our hut from

Georgia and are talking to guys in our hut from there. Boy, do they have

the southern drawl.

I think I’m doing pretty good, a letter last night and this today.

You’ll probably get them both the same day.

Today is my day to clean the hut. We take turns cleaning it. There

are four guys each day to clean it.

We’ll can’t think of much else so will close.

Your Big Brother, Gib

P.S. They call me Chic Little. I don’t know why.


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My Dearest,

I sat myself down, pencil in hand to write you a letter in ink.

(Please excuse the typewriting.)

I don’t live where I lived before, because I moved to where I live

now. When you come to see me you can ask anybody where I live because

no one knows.

I’m sorry that we are so close apart. I wish we were farther

together. We are having more weather this year than we had last year,

aren’t we?

My Aunt Nellie died and is doing fine. I hope you are the same.

I started to San Diego to other day to see you. I saw a sign that said

“This sign takes you to San Diego.” I got upon the sign and sat there for

three hours and the darn thing never moved.

I’m mailing you a coat by express. I cut the button off so it would be lighter. They are in the pocket of the coat.

If you don’t get this letter, let me know and I’ll send it to you.

The girl next door swallowed a bottle of ink but she’s doing nicely

now. The doctor told her to eat ink blotters.

Our neighbor’s baby swallowed some pins, but the doctor fed it

some pin cushions so it’s doing o.k.

I would have sent you the money I owed you but I didn’t think of it

until I had sealed the envelope.

Loads of Love

Me

P.S. I’m sending you a picture of our little dog but for fear it would get

lost, I’m taking it out.


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Letter Undated

NAME STATE DESCRIPTION

Barnett Calif. Biggest on in the hut

Hubbard Idaho About my size, quite

Kelly Georgia Oldest, uses big words

Kodedek Illinois Cull of hut, smart alec

Stallings Idaho Young kid, tall & slender

Sutton Idaho Quiet, young & married

Davis Oregon Went to sick bay.

Pretty big

Adamson Idaho Likes to sing, going to

get married on furloughKimbrell Texas-Calif. Small, redheaded, wirery

Only guy with pillow

Little Mo.-Calif. Noisy, smart, sleepy.

tough (Don’t laugh)

Roberts (bunkmate) Calif. Educated, helpful, trys

hard. 34 looks 25

Haley Georgia Quiet, divorced, false

teeth, small

Roach Georgia Jolly, fat, snoresclumsy, nice guy

Bergman Georgia Blond, wears glasses,

19, kinda noisy

Brennan Georgia Small, 20 yrs., talks a

lot, went to military school

Wilcox New Mexico Slow talking, homesick

Married six months

Swindle Florida Older fellow, don’t

know much about himSnow Mass.-Calif. 32, noisy, false teeth, spoiled

well off as a civilian

Haworth Calif. Quiet, slow, my size

young


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I never saw anything like this before but maybe you’ll like it. Tell

me if you do. The guy with the pillow stole it from another hut. We use

coats for pillows.

Well guess I better seal this up before I get another brain storm.

Gib


Hello Folks,

Well, I just finished polishing my shoes and have some time before

bedtime so thought I might as well write.

Boy, was I lucky today. There were about 68,000 bullets that flew

around me today. The farthest not over two hundred yards and not ontouched me. You see I was working the targets. It’s quite a feeling to

watch those bullets hitting against the hill. There are 100 targets on the

range and behind every target is a regular cave where the bullets have hit.

I bet you guys would like to see how this range is run. Did you understand

those diagrams I drew in the last letter? We figured the cost of today’s

firing. At four cents a shell they fired about $2,700 worth of shells. So you

can see why we pay taxes.

We start to fire our Garand rifles tomorrow. A week from today we

fire for record. We fire about two hundred practice shots before recordday. Hope I make out okay.

I didn’t get Rayetta’s letter today but may get it tomorrow. I never

have got the letters you wrote while you were at Alpha’s. I would like to

know if dad learned to dance. ha

Dal seems to get off quite often now. Sure too bad about Eugene.

You asked if I had much hopes of a furlough after boot camp.

Well, not much. We may get mess duty for about thirty days after boot

camp. That’s working in the mess hall.

Where are you getting this hay from and how much? I’m sure sorryabout the horse. I hope you guys don’t feel like I ran out on you with so

much work to do. I really didn’t feel right when I was home and all the

married men were getting drafted. My bunk mate, the high school teacher

is a father of a six months old baby. He sure hated to leave but he is doing


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pretty good. He is a really nice fellow. He sure has got an education. I’m

learning a lot in here.

By golly I sure wish mom was here to hem up my dress greens.

Some of the guys are sewing theirs now. I haven’t done mine yet. That’s

going to be the toughest thing I’ve done yet. I had a heck of a time sewing

the pads on my jacket for shooting. It’s sure a funny looking thing. The

rifle coach ripped the back all to heck because it was too tight and kept me

from getting in position.

Well, guess that’s about all for now. I was looking through those

addresses last night and so I thought I would write to someone so I wrote

to Cledia Byrd. Guess she’ll be surprised to get it. I have written to almost

every address I have down. Haven’t written to Helen yet. Is she here or at

Alpha’s?

Well, write some more.

Gib


Dear Rayetta,

Guess I will answer your letter. So Hughson has a pretty good

basketball team after all. But didn’t I tell you the girl’s games would not

be worth much.So J.Don and Jimmy Orr tried to dance. That reminds me of Spike

and myself trying to learn. I’ll bet dad sure enjoyed the dance.

So you think we have to be pretty fast. Well, you can’t go to sleep

exactly. I have fired 52 shots with my Garand rifle and got 24 bullseyes.

That’s no so bad. We have to adjust our sights the first few days. We fire

for record Thursday. I should qualify if I do as good as I have so far.

These rifles are sure nice guns.

So mom was worried about me holding targets while they fired at

them. Well, we don’t hold them, they are on a platform that works up anddown. You are behind a hill with steel and concrete between you and the

guy firing. You couldn’t get hit is you wanted to.

I got a letter from Mary Jo yesterday. I already answered it. I

addressed it to you, I didn’t know about Al.


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So you think I do pretty good at writing. Well, I think so myself.

But you sure like to get letters when you’re here. What do you think of

that wild idea describing the guys in the hut?

Well, it’s about time for chow and I don’t want to miss it because I

saw a whole lot of roast chicken in the kitchen this morning so I better cut

this off. Dal may have a long wait if he waits till I get a furlough. We

don’t have the least idea when we will get one.

Write again.

Gib

I had already sealed this up and was ready to mail it. I started to

clean my sea bag and found the targets we shot at with the twenty two.

Thought dad and Darl might be interested to see what I did and this willshow them the kind of targets we fire at. Of course they are a lot bigger

than these but the same shape. These were fired at with the twenty two at

25 yards. The idea was not to hit the bullseye but get a group. That is to

see if you aim all shots the same. There are ten shots in the bullseye target

and fifteen in the silhouette. Of course they were not all this good but I

don’t think they are so bad. This is another wild idea I guess.

Well, I think I better go mail this now.

Gib


Dear Folks,

Seeing as I don’t have anything rushing to do I might as well

answer your letter. So you are having pretty cool weather up there the way

you wrote. We had quite a lot of rain here last night and this morning.

What’s the matter with you guys letting Denair beat you?

I got a letter from Alpha yesterday. She didn’t write much, said Edwas going to write some later.

So you don’t understand why the drill instructors don’t just say

left, right, left. The way they do it is supposed to be easier on the voice.

They have a lot of little short cuts. Instead of saying “platoon attention”


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they say “toon ten shun”. For “forward” they say “ford hut”. You soon

learn what it means. You had better learn.

The name of the camp I am in now is Camp Matthews. I’m getting

kind of short on paper so better use both sides.

The article on colds mom sent back to me sounds good but I’m

afraid if everyone went to the doc every time he thought he was going to

catch cold there wouldn’t be enough hospitals and you are told what to

wear and when to hit the sack. Maybe when you get out of boot camp you

can do like it says in the magazine. My cold is practically okay now. It

doesn’t bother me now.

We fired preliminary records today. I didn’t do so good. I made

284 points. That would qualify me but I would rather make sharpshooter.

It was awful muddy and rained some while we were firing. I think I can do

better Thursday. The coach also made some adjustments on my sights. Ithought it would be hard to fire16 shots in a minute but the coach gets on

me for getting through too fast. I got three bullseyes at the 20 inch target at

five hundred yards. I got 4 fours and one three. I lost most of my points in

the slow fire at 200 yards. That was when it was raining. I am not very

steady in the off-hand position. I also dropped several points at 300 yards

rapid fire. I had a group but they were high so the coach lowered my sight

one click. They should be better Thursday.

Well, Rotty I don’t suppose you get much sense out of the firing.

So you are still head of the class in typing. Keep it up some day you may be as good as your big brother.

We signed the payroll yesterday. I don’t know how much I am

going to get but don’t think it will be very much the first time. Some of the

married men will get only about five dollars. Sure seems like not enough.

I’ve about run out of anything to write about and I haven’t got any

wild ideas tonight.

We have ten more days of boot camp before the platoon breaks up.

We have heard all kinds of tales as to what we are going to do after that

but I don’t think anyone knows yet. I won’t be surprised at anything. Mostof the guys think it will be mess duty for 30 days. I should get fat if that’s

the case. We really eat good here. We had pumpkin pie tonight but it was

cut like Aunt Lu cuts them and no whipped cream. Well, guess I better

close this up. The guys are getting into an argument about the firing today


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so I better get in it and straighten them out. hm You know I never get

anything wrong.

So Long, Gib

P.S. Did you hear of the couple that named their baby Weatherstrip

because he kept his father out of the draft.


Hello Folks,

Well, guess I will write some more. It is raining like everything

right now. The roof leaks so we have buckets all over the place catching

the water.We are at the base now. Tomorrow we are to get some more

clothes. We get our dress greens this week. We have the trousers already.

You wanted to know if I dreaded the thirty days in the mess hall.

No, I don’t think it would be so bad. We don’t know if we are going to get

it or not. There are 22 platoons that are breaking up and 11 are going to

get mess duty. If we get mess duty we get three nights a week liberty for 6

hours. The trouble is I don’t think there is much to do in San Diego. We

had payday the other day. I got $35. Some of the married men didn’t get

anything. We got quite a kick out of the way they did it. We all lined up inalphabetical order and marched through the hut for our money. They sure

go fast and you don’t ask any questions. Some of the married men were

told that they were over paid. They sure didn’t understand how they were

over paid when they had never got anything. It will be different after we

finish boot camp.

Glad to hear you got clover all sowed. I guess that hay hauling is

quite a job. Guess it sure hurts the profit when you buy the hay.

Boy, are we having a regular rain storm here today. I thought Arch

said it would be like spring down here. The out of state boys sure rub it inabout sunny California.

The way those articles read they are really going to draft a lot more

men. I wish Darl could finish high school before he has to go. I don’t

know much about the merchant marines or the navy. Guess there isn’t

much difference only the pay.


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About the platoon picture I don’t think you had better send it

because it would get awful wrinkled because we have to keep everything

in our sea bag. I’ll get furlough before to long and then I can tell you about

them. There are not many left that were with us when the picture was

taken. A little over half I think.

Everyone is trying to train their hair again in case we get liberty

but most of our hair sticks straight up. About that sewing, I didn’t cut any

off but they don’t look too good. They wear them awful long and they

don’t have any back pockets which I don’t like.

I got your letter and your card the same day. I just heard the chow

call so I better close. I guess we will have to wear our ponchos (raincoats)

to chow because it’s still raining like everything. I’ll write when I find out

what we are going to do next.

Gib


Hello Folks,

Well, I just found out where I am going so as the marines say I will

cut you in on the dope. I get 30 days mess duty and no furlough. There

were about 42 of us got mess duty. A few got into some special branch.

My bunk mate is going to get 10 days furlough and then to a photographyschool in Virginia. He is sure happy about it.

We are going back to the rifle range for mess duty. We turned in

our rifles and bayonets today. We get or we are supposed to get a few

hours off three nights a week. But we will be quite a ways from town. The

range is about 20 miles from San Diego. The D.I. read off our names and

where we were going. There were a lot of frowns and smiles.

You remember me writing about the aircraft plant being so near

our hut. Well, one of the planes overshot the field and it has been lying

with one wing through the fence. It is about 50 or 60 yards from our hut. Itseems the runway was slick and it started skidding and one tire blew out.

No one was hurt.

I was wondering if you heard the Kay Kyser program Wednesday

night. He was here at the base. We didn’t get to see him but one of our

platoon was on the program. He won second prize.


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It has been raining here every day this week. We got out of an

inspection today because of it. We learned to use and throw the hand

grenade this week. We also had to dig a fox hole with our mess kit. We

dug up to our shoulders. That is quite a job with a little man and in the rain

at that. The ground was sandy or I guess we would still be digging.

We have one more inspection tomorrow before we break up.

Maybe I better explain an inspection. This morning we had rifle

inspection. We stand at attention and when the officer steps in front of

you, you bring your rifle up and throw the bolt open. He then takes it and

if he finds any dirt on it, it is just too bad. Tomorrow we are going to have

pack inspection. I will sure be glad when it is over.

I don’t know if my address will change when we go to the range

but if you write it will get to me. I will write as soon as it is changed.

Well, guess that’s about all.

Gib


Hello Folks,

Well, I am at the rifle range mess hall now. I was just made a

commander. I am in command of the pots and pans department. I have

four assistants. Boy, do we have a lot of things to clean. There are about2,000 men here to feed so you can imagine how much we have to wash.

The messmen bring in the pans and stuff and throw them in the middle of

the floor. We take a hose and squirt hot water on them and wipe them off.

The little things we wash in a sink with soap and water. It is awful wet in

there. We have rubber boots to wear but we still get wet. It should get

easier as we get used to it and get a system worked out. During the meal

time we serve food on the line. That is a pretty good job. We have lots of

fun kidding the guys coming through for food. One nice thing about it is

we get the best eats of anyone. We practically eat when we want and whatwe want. We are supposed to have thirty days mess duty. We turned in our

rifles before we came up here. I don’t know what we will do after 30 days.

There were about 42 of the platoon that got mess duty. But there are only

about 10 guys from our platoon here at this mess hall.


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Is Helen here at San Diego? We will get nights off no so I might

get to see her.

It is almost time for the noon meal so I better close and get to my

office. hm I’ll try to write more later.

Gib

Letter March 1, 1944

Hello Folks,

I just happened to think as I wrote the date down that it was Darl’s

birthday so happy birthday to Darl. Guess he should feel like a man now.

Before I forget it what about my income tax? Did you get it figuredup yet? There isn’t much time left so see if you can fix it up.

I am getting along okay with my command of the pots and pan

department. We get up at four and eat and serve to the recruits then scrub

‘till about nine. Then two of us stay there and the other four have of ‘till

11. Then we serve dinner and get done about 2 and have ‘till 4 off. We

alternate staying in. The sargent put me in charge. I don’t care much for

the job because I get the blame but it don’t worry me much.

We sure do get plenty to eat. I haven’t gained much weight since I

have been a marine. About 3 lbs. I think. It gets pretty hot in the room.The room is called the scullery.

I had liberty from 6 ‘till 4 in the morning last Monday. We could

go to San Diego if we wanted but I only went to the main camp to the

show. We were supposed to get every other night liberty but the inspecting

officer caught the guys shooting dice so we are restricted for a while.

There isn’t much to do in San Diego so it don’t bother me much.

The mess hall where we are is not exactly the same as the one

where I fired. It is about a mile from the main camp. We are at F range. I

fired on E range. The F range is about 100 yards back of our barracks. Itgets rather noisy at times. But you get used to it pretty soon and I can

sleep right through it. Those Grand rifles don’t make as much noise as you

would think by the power they have.

They sure do cook on a large scale. For example they fill three

flour sacks with coffee and put them in tanks when they have coffee.


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There is quite a bit of food wasted. We have a lot of fun serving the food

to the recruits. For instance if you are serving salad or gravy or most

anything you may say “be careful when you eat that Mac because I just

found some tacks in it.” They always have some remark similar to that.

Some of the guys just coming in sure look funny. The reason I used the

name Mac is because the marines call everyone Mac if they don’t know

his name. You always hear somebody hollering Mac.

So J.Don has a basketball team. Sounds like they did pretty good

for the first game.

Well I can’t think of much else so guess I will close for now.

Gib


Dear Rayetta,

So Peggy is about to take away your typing championship. You

better get more practice so you might write more often and longer letters.

But to tell the truth I am surprised you write as often and as much as you

do. By the way you tell Jo if she doesn’t write me some more letters, she

will be sorry when I get furlough.

I just finished my little job of dish washing. Boy, I am sure getting

tired of greasy pots and pans. Just for an example of what we wash how’sthis? We have 24 pans which they use for serving, they are about 1 ft.

deep and 2 ft. long and 15 inches wide. We have to wash then after each

meal. We have about 13 kettles, they a 2.5 high and 3 ft. in diameter. We

wash at least six of those each meal and some times all of them. We have

36 baking pans, they are about 4 inches high and 3 ft. square. We use

about an average of 30 each meal. Also about 20 cake pans about 2 by 3 ft.

We average about 10 of those a meal. We also have dippers and paddles

from a teaspoon to about a gallon dipper. They use a lot of them each

meal, about 50-1 gal. pitchers each meal. Also about 30 plates and knivesand forks and spoons, platters, dish pans, butcher knives and milk cans

most every morning, about 15. So you should never complain about 8 or

10 plates and a few knives, forks and a couple of bowls. ha If I get

furlough after this 30 days I don’t want to even as much as wash a spoon.


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We get up at four and if we’re lucky get to bed about 9:30. We get

about 3 to 4 hours off during the day except we have to have two men on

duty at all times during the day between meals. There are six of us. During

the time off we amuse ourselves by showering or washing clothes.

Sometimes we take a nap or write a letter. As you might guess I am

getting dish pan hands. ha

So you are still trying to learn how to drive. I wonder if I can still

drive. Maybe if I ever get a furlough I will teach you to wash dishes and

you can teach me to drive. If you know how by then.

I am sending a picture of a range where I fired. It only shows the

200 yard line and only part of the targets. There are 100 targets altogether.

My target was 92. I may be in the picture but don’t think so. I don’t know

when it was taken. Maybe dad and Darl will get an idea how the range is.

The target works up and down.Well, guess that’s all for now.

Gib


Dear Rayetta and Jo,

I haven’t got very much time so in stead of writing to you both I’ll

write both of you at the same time.I haven’t got much to write about anyway. Still washing pots and

pans. We won first place last week for having the cleanest mess hall on the

range so I guess we do okay. The sergeant said we had the scullery cleaner

than it had been for a long time.

I just finished washing my clothes. I’m sure getting kinda tired of

scrubbing stuff. When I get through with this I should make some girl a

good house-husband, don’t you think?

We are supposed to have pay day today. Everyone is sure needing

it. They do quite a bit of gambling and some of the guys lose all they’vegot in one night. I am not broke but I’m badly bent.

We get liberty every other night now. I went to a small town about

four miles from here last Sunday night. Went to the service club or U.S. O.

and saw a pretty good stage show. There isn’t much to do in San Diego. I

went to a show at the main camp last night. Saw Sahara which was pretty


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good. Almost froze while I was watching it for it is an open air theater.

Also played a few games of ping pong at the P.X. I never got beat either.

brag It is a mile to the main camp and I run back every night I go to try

and keep in shape. I am getting a little heavier I think. But no wonder for

you should see the stuff we get to eat.

Well, it seems as if Hughson had a pretty good basketball season

this year. I was surprised for they didn’t look so good when I left. Maybe

they didn’t have any competition. I’ll bet those girl’s teams were

something for the books. Especially with “birdlegs” and “bowlegs” on

them. I’m glad I’m not where you can reach me right now. ha

Well, I just went over and got paid. Got $30. Nobody can figure

out the payroll system they have here. You just take what they give you

and wonder why didn’t get more.

So you gals didn’t think much of the pictures. Well, what did youexpect, Clark Gable? I intend to have some big ones made some time later.

As for a furlough I don’t figure on one for some time yet. But you don’t

know anything about it.

The guys just got paid and they have started a poker game already.

Half of them will probably be broke tomorrow.

Well, “rowdys” I guess that’s about all I can think about for this

time. Hope you don’t mind this two in one letter but I figured you both

read them if I wrote separate so I saved paper and time. Tell Red Top I am

expecting a letter from her. As for what I might do to you if you didn’twrite, well, I’m not sure but don’t wait and find out. Well, so long.

Gib


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Hello Folks,

I got your letter today and you said you thought I might be sick or

something because I didn’t write. Well, I’m a long ways from being sick.

Right now I am at the U.S.O. hall. The guy I came down here with wanted

to dance but I don’t think I could with these shoes on. We are at a little

town called LaJolla. We played a game of miniature golf a little while ago.

I won. We’re about ready to go back to the camp so I’ll write some more

Sunday.

Gib


Hello Folks,

Well, I’m still here and doing okay. We got out pots and pans all

done for another day. It’s about 8:15 now. I thought I might as well write

you a few lines because you can’t get to sleep until about 9:30 or 10. I am

kinda sleepy tonight because I went to a show last night in San Diego. Got

here about 12:30 and got up at 4:30.

We had a little excitement in the mess hall tonight. One of the

stoves leaked out some oil and it caught fire. We were working in theskullery about 15 yards from the stove and we didn’t know anything about

it until the fire truck got there. We were really washing pots and pans and

we heard the siren blowing. We looked out the window and saw the fire

truck coming up the road. We began wondering where the fire was and it

was right in the kitchen next door to the skullery. Boy, they sure have

things efficient. There were M.P.’s and Majors and everything else there

in no time.

We were expecting to get off of mess duty about Saturday but may

not until Wednesday. I won’t be sorry when we finish. I’ll let you knowwhen I find out where I go to from here. Well, I guess that’s all for now. I

am sending another one of these Leatherneck magazines.

Gib


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Hello Folks,

Well, I got off a little early tonight so I will write now instead of

tomorrow. I will be on duty most of tomorrow. We had some of the

recruits to help us tonight.

We had a little radio here and just got through listening to the

Grand Ole Opry. It still sounds the same.

Me and one of the guys in the skullery tried to get a pass to go to

Mexico but we didn’t get it. The other four guys in there have got 60 hour

passes but we haven’t yet. I don’t know if we can get across or not but if

we get a pass we may try. It is only about 20 miles from here. This fellow

I may go with is from Idaho. He has been in the same platoon as I have all

the way through. He is only 20 years old and has been married about fivemonths. He’s a pretty nice guy. He sure is getting fat here on mess duty. I

have gained some myself.

Last Thursday we had field day and that’s when we are on duty all

day. Well, we got the skullery all spick and span so we decided we would

take turns two at a time and take a little rest. So two of the guys took off

and slept for about an hour and so Keith Moss (that’s the guy from Idaho)

and I started to take our turn. We are gone about five minutes and here

comes the sarge. So we spent the rest of the day shoveling sand mixes

with oil. The other guys in the skullery sure got a kick out of us gettingcaught. It’s the first time we tried it and got caught. Some of the guys get

away with it all the time. The sergeants here are pretty good bunch of

guys. I haven’t had any trouble with any of them yet. The sarge that

caught us didn’t get sore or anything. I think he got a kick out of it.

You asked about whether I thought I would get a furlough or not.

Well, I doubt it if I go to the infantry. If I happened to get in aviation I

might but don’t think there is much chance of that. We hear lots of

different stories about furloughs. I think you are supposed to get one

before you have to go across but some don’t. We hear all kinds of rumorsabout where we will get training. Some say we may get two months

training here and the rest over there but I don’t think anyone knows.

I don’t worry much about it. I don’t think you better come down

here now because I am liable to be moved any time. Maybe when I get in


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line camp I will find out more definitely what I am going to do. We got

the extra week of mess duty alright. We will break up Thursday.

It seems to me you had better get rid of the renters. I still think the

rent money isn’t worth the trouble and bother.

So Henry Ford thinks the war will be over in two months. Well, I

hope he’s right but I don’t think it will be that soon. I know less about how

the war is going now than I did when I got in.

You said something about eating potatoes. Well, I doubt if I eat

any that you plant but we eat lots of them. There are five guys working in

the spud shack all day. They peel potatoes, carrots, onions, etc. They have

a lot of machines to do most of the work. Some of the spuds came from

Keith’s home town in Idaho. He was sure surprised when he picked up a

sack the other day and it had a fellow’s name on it he knows.

I guess Eugene feels pretty big now. I guess I’ll have to salute himnow. We salute all officers of Allied nations, Army, Navy, Maries, Wacs

and everything else. But we don’t salute when we are in San Diego. I

haven’t had to salute a woman yet but I may one of these days. I sure

going to feel silly I’m sure of that.

Are the strawberries getting ripe yet? And how about Topsy’s leg?

Well, I guess I better close this up and go to bed. I’ve got liberty tomorrow

night again. Probably go to the show here at camp. It takes to long to get

back and forth from San Diego. Tell that Red Top I am still waiting for her

letter. Well, goodnight.

Gib


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Hello Folks,

I am back at the base again. Was sure glad to get off mess duty. I

sure got some sore hands. We don’t know what we are going to do yet.

We will find out Saturday. So I’ll try and write Sunday. But don’t get

worried if I don’t write for a few days for I may be too busy.

We are living in tents now. I don’t know what my address will be

so maybe you better wait until you hear from me again before you write.

I don’t know when they are going to call us out so I better close

this up. I’ll write again when I can.

Gib

Letter April 2, 1944

Hello Folks,

Well, just a few lines to let you know where I am. I am in the

Aviation Training Station. In other words the Marine Air Corp. I don’t

know what part of it I will be in as yet. Probably in the ground crew some

place. We have been taking tests today and from what they say we will

take a lot more tests before we find out what we do. I feel pretty lucky. I

thought sure I was going to the infantry. It seems they had the air corpclosed for a month and then opened it up for trainees again. We just hit it

lucky. Several of the guys from our old platoon are here. I guess that’s all

for now.

I’ll try to write some more later when I get time. Note my new

address.

Well, I better hit the sack. My head is whirling from the tests we

had this afternoon.

GibA.T.S. 131

M.C.A.B.

MIRAMAR

San Diego 45, Calif.


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Dear Rayetta,

I suppose you guys are all wondering what I am going to do and

where I’m going. Well, I am too. We had tests and then we were told to

make three choices of what we would like to do. Then they would look

over our tests and see if we were qualified for what we wanted. Well, I

chose aviation, metalsmith as my first choice. That is sheet metal work,

such as patching up holes and wrecked planes. Then I chose aviation

ordinance my second choice. That is taking care of guns and loading

bombs and all around work on the plane. My third choice was aviation

machinist mate, that is motor repairing. Well, after we make our choice,

we have an interview with the captain. He has all your records from the

time you were born to when you went to the toilet last. Well, almost thatmuch. Anyway he has all the records of what you made on all your tests.

He looked at my choices and at my records and then asked me if I had had

much mechanical experience. I told him not very much. He said “well

your choices seem very logical so I will put them in the order you chose.”

Now that’s all I know. From what I hear they wait ‘till they get an opening

in a school and then send you there. Or maybe send you some place else if

they need men at that time. I don’t think it means an awfully lot what you

sign for. It is where they need you the most if you can qualify. So you see

I still don’t know a whole lot about what I am going to do. I would kind oflike to get in a plane some were as a radioman, bombardier, navigator or

gunner. I don’t know what chance I will have. Probably not much.

While we are waiting to find out where we go we are practically

going through boot camp again. We are getting a lot more drilling and

marching. We also get a lot of work details such as sweeping out buildings

which I just finished doing.

We are in four companies, A,B,C,&D. One company has what they

call police duty every day. The other three companies have liberty from

4:30 ‘till 6:30 the next morning. Well, we got here Saturday and nobodyhad liberty the first night. The next night C company had duty which I was

in. So we swept out wash rooms and mess halls and a little of everything.

Also when a company is on duty they have air raid drill. They call you out

at any time of the night and give you three minutes to get dressed and out

on the parade ground which is a bout two hundred yards from here. So you


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see you learn to wake up pretty fast. Well, we had been drilling all day and

we came in at 4:30 expecting to have liberty and we find out we have been

changed to D company so we have duty again tonight. When you have

duty you eat chow at 5 and fall out for duty at 20 to 6. Then you are sent to

wherever they need men. Tonight I helped sweep out the carpenter shop. It

only took 45 minutes so we got off early. We have to fall out for duty

again at 8:40. Probably have something else to clean by then. Then again

tonight we will probably have an air raid drill.

So you see we have lots of fun. We’ve been drilling in the sun all

day with only skull caps on and my face is sunburned as the dickens. After

working inside the mess hall for thirty days I was kinda white.

Well, I guess I better close this up. I almost wrote a book. You said

mom had a sore throat and Darl had one. I hear there is lots of scarlet fever

going through the country so they better be kinda careful. You also said“Susie” got bloated and died. That’s not so good. What did she do get in

the alfalfa?

So you guys get out of school for Ester vacation this week. I

wouldn’t mind a week vacation myself. I have heard rumors that some of

the guys get furloughs but haven’t got my hopes up yet.

I don’t know if I got my address right the first time or not. So you

had better check it again. Write whenever you can.

Gib

P.S. Here’s a stick of gum for you.

Pvt. Walter G. Little

A.T.S. 131

M.C.A.D

Miramar

San Diego 45, Calif.


Dear Folks,

Well, I got here okay. I had quite a layover in L.A. Got there about

3:30 and couldn’t get on a bus so got a train. It was 8:15 and had to sit in

the aisle on the train. I never saw so many people. They were only letting


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service men on and they still didn’t have enough room. Filled two trains

with service men and I mean full. There wasn’t enough room in the aisle.

They were even laying up on the rack where they carry baggage.

I got to San Diego about 12:00 and got here about 1:30. Got up at

5:30 and been working in the P.X. this morning. I had some sandwiches so

I didn’t go to chow. I don’t like to wait in line so long.

Well, here it is night again. I didn’t get this letter finished at noon.

I just got thru sewing up my jacket which came unsewed again. Been

working in the lumber yard this afternoon and I sunburned my nose again.

You know I was afraid I had left one of my sheets out. Well, I

didn’t. I was glad I found it in my seabag. I don’t know how long I will be

here. They told us today that we would be gone from 1 to 6 weeks. I hope

it is one. Well, guess I will go to bed for I’m kinda sleepy. Write and tell

me how Darl made out. I’ll write if I get moved soon.I got a letter from Dave Baptista. His address is in care of New

York Postmaster. He will probably go to England.

Gib


Dear Folks,

Well, I’m still here. I still don’t know any more about what I’mgoing to do than I did when I was home. We’ve been pretty busy around

here getting things ready for inspections. I never saw such a place for

doing things so perfect. We had a locker inspection yesterday and boy I

mean you had to have everything folded perfect or it’s extra duty.

We have another inspection tomorrow. If we pass we get liberty

from noon Saturday ‘till 6:30 Monday. I think I will go down to San

Diego and go out to the zoo again if I pass inspection. I didn’t figure I

would have much time to write Sunday so thought I would write tonight.

How did Darl come out with the draft board? Well, I’m gettingsleepy so I better go to bed.

Gib


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Hello Folks,

Well I’m still here at Miramar but in a different company. I am in

the Aviation Regulation Squadron. I just got in today so I don’t know

exactly what it is. At least I am glad to get out of that A.T.S. 131. They

had too many inspections to suit me. There are not supposed to be so

many inspections here.

You wrote in your last letter that Darl and the rest of the guys from

school got in the Navy. Does that mean he won’t get a deferment? When

are they supposed to leave?

I sure was sorry to hear about P.K. Points. I was talking to him the

night they had the party up there. He said if he couldn’t get in the Air Corphe was going to try the Marines. It must have been a pretty bad accident to

kill two and injure two more.

So Helen is going to live in Modesto. Is Sibbee Miller going to live

with her? I’m afraid they won’t live there very long. By the way have the

renters been back lately?

You wrote that Aunt Lula wrote for my address and said she

wanted my picture I promised her. I don’t remember promising anyone

any picture.

I don’t know exactly how many were late getting back off offurlough. There were not so many I don’t think. I don’t think they got the

brig unless they were 24 hours late. Keith got back from Idaho okay but he

is in a different company. Most of the guys in the barracks I’m in now are

new to me. There is two from my old platoon.

Well I guess that’s about all for now. I’ll try and write again when

I find out what I’m going to do.

Gib

P.S. My address is a little different now.

A.R.S.-1 Sec. 9

M.C.A.D.

Miramar

San Diego 45, CAlif.


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Letter May 2, 1944

Dear Redtop,

I guess I better answer the long letter you wrote me. I was glad to

get it even if it was kinda short. Where did you learn to spell such big

words?

I just bought this fountain pen over at the P.X. I also got you a

little bracelet. So you see it pays to write once in a while.

I don’t imagine you can read this so I might as well answer mom’s

letter. We are still expecting to be shipped out at any time. Still don’t

know where we go or when or what we do when we get there. Most of the

guys would like to go to Australia but I don’t know if we will or not.

I got mom’s letter today telling about Eugene getting married. Iwas sure surprised. Not so much surprise at him getting married but to a

lady with a baby. I never thought it of him. I wrote him a letter the other

day. Don’t know if he got it or not.

You wrote that you liked for me to write what I was doing. Well,

this morning I helped sandpaper a semi-truck, one that was built for

hauling butchered beef. They were going to paint it. This afternoon I have

been washing windows. Yesterday we did some drilling with our rifles.

Also did some combat exercises. I twisted my ankle and it’s pretty sore

but I got it taped up so think it’s okay. We had to pick up another personon our shoulders and run with him about 75 yards. I happened to have a

guy that weighed 175 lbs. and when I went to sit him down I stepped in a

little hole and twisted my ankle. I was the first one to go the 75 yards

though. He had to carry me back but he only got about 3/4 of the way and

put me down. He was only 18.

I got a little extra duty coming up tonight for leaving my bayonet

on my cartridge belt instead of on my pack. Probably have to water some

lawns or go to one of the mess halls and do some scrubbing. This is the

first time I got any extra duty.Well, it’s almost time to report to the sergeant of the guard from

my extra duty so guess I will close. I’ll write again if I find out anything

and am allowed to tell. I don’t imagine we will know where we will go

until we get there.


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I am getting kinda tired of this waiting around wondering when

we’re going. It seems they don’t keep them overseas but so long so guess

the sooner we get going the sooner we get back.

Well, Redtop write again when you can. I think I got some gum

also. Will send the bracelet in another package.

Your Big Brother, Gib

P.S. Just got back from extra duty. Had to scrub on some stoves for two

hours. Got off pretty easy.

Letter May 6, 1944

Hello Folks,I haven’t got much to write about except I’m still here and still

don’t know when we’re going. We hear rumors that we’re going to go in a

day or two but we haven’t gone yet. We may be here for another month

yet.

We took a hike the other day out across the hills for about six

miles. It was pretty hot and we weren’t very used to it but everyone made

it. Some of them were pretty well pooped when we got in. I made it okay.

The only trouble was coming down the hills over the rocks because of my

sore ankle. It is about okay now.I just got through taking a shower. Been down to the gym playing

basketball. We can go down any time and play when we get time off. The

theater is only about fifty yards from the barracks so we go to the show

quite a bit. I went last night but they’ve got the same show on tonight.

We had a parade today. There were about 500 or better in it I think.

They decorated seven men for action in the South Pacific. Three got the

Distinguished Flying Cross. Two got some kind of air medal. Two got the

Purple Heart for wounds. The parades are pretty nice to watch but not so

much fun to be in. We have to stand at attention so darn long and it is pretty hot. After the parade we had an inspection. I get quite a kick out of

the inspections. Everyone tries to do everything just so so and some of

them pull some boners. When the officer stemps in front of you, you are

supposed to bring your rifle up and throw the bolt back. I was all set when


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he came in front of me and started to bring it up and the darn thing caught

on the edge of my pocket but I got it up and he didn’t say anything.

Well, It’s time to hit the sack. I’ll write again if anything happens.

Gib

Letter May 10, 1944

Dear Folks,

Well, I’m still here but we have everything packed but our

Blankets so looks like we are going to shove off pretty soon. We got our

final equipment yesterday and they took our liberty cards so we cannot

leave camp so guess they really mean we’re going. Don’t know where to

and couldn’t tell if I did. There were about 500 came in from overseas theother day and I talked to some of them. Some of them say it is better over

there than it is here. They say you don’t get so many inspections and so

much bossing around. I don’t know for sure but everyone thins we are

going to be on what they call general duty. That from what they say is

working around an air base so don’t think I’ll be in much danger. As a

matter of fact I will be kinda glad to get started and see the country.

I sure am sorry to hear about Alpha. Surely she is not as bad as

they think. It won’t seem right without her and what will Edd do. I’m not

much good at writing this kind of letter but I want her to know that I’m pulling for her. Look mom, take some of my money and buy her some real

nice flowers or something and tell her old Gib is pulling for her.

We signed some cards that will be sent home when we leave and

when we get where we’re going. There is a chance that I may not be able

to write so if you don’t hear from me for quite a while don’t get worried.

They told us that we better write and tell our folks that sometimes the mail

gets tangled up form overseas and don’t get through very fast.

We had a payday today and they told us we wouldn’t have much

use for money so I am sending home a money order for $50. I’ve still gotabout $35. We will get 20% more pay for overseas duty so should get $60

a month now. According to what they say you get rates pretty fast also so

should have enough to get by on. The guys that came back from overseas

had more money than they knew what to do with.


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Well, guess that’s about all for now. Don’t forget to get Alpha

something real nice. I still can’t believe it is as bad as they think. I’ll write

again when I can but don’t worry about me and be sure and write how

Alpha is.

Tell Rayetta I’ll answer her letter later. Some of the guys are

wondering if they’ll get seasick and I wouldn’t be surprised if we all do.

Well, so long for now.

Gib

Letter May 12, 1944

Hello Folks,

Well, we’re all set to go now so thought I would write again. Weleave to load on the boat at six in the morning. Don’t know where we will

go. There are 120 of us in the company I’m in and none have ever been

over before so there will probably be a lot of sick marines before we get

there.

A couple of kids just came through the barracks wanting to shine

shoes but they didn’t have any luck here. They let the kids in every

morning and night to sell papers. This is the first time I ever saw shoe

shiners. They do a pretty good business selling papers. They get lots of

tips.I got mom’s letter yesterday. I sure am sorry about Alpha. I could

probably get a pass to go home if we weren’t shipping out. I’ll bet this will

sure be hard on Edd. Wonder what he will do now.

Redtop said something about maybe Dal was going overseas. Is he

still working the operating room or not?

Well, don’t know much else to write so guess I’ll go take a shower

and shave and go to bed. We get up at 4:30 in the morning. I’m sending

mom a little present for Mother’s Day. I’m afraid it will get there a little

late, but they say better late than never.I don’t imagine I will get to write until I get to where I’m going

and the sergeant said we may be on the boat for three weeks. It probably

takes quite a while for mail to get across so you may not hear from me for

quite a while. You will probably get a card from the marine corp before

long telling my new address. I guess the mail will follow us anyway. So


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don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay. I’m kinda looking forward to seeing

some country.

Gib

PRE-PRINTED POSTCARD FROM THE MARINE CORP:

My address is being changed this date, May 8, 1944. Please do not

write to me until I send my new address.

Signed Pvt. Walter G. Little

The card was mailed on the 13th of May, the day 5,000 Marines sailed

from San Diego on the USS Rochambeau, a French liner converted to a

troop ship.

Note: On the back of one of the letters, Mrs. Little had made this note: Gib

shipped out Saturday. Got a card from war saying not to write until heard

from them. Dallas is going too.

Since Gib couldn’t tell in the letters where he was while overseas,

Bonnie Little went through the small diary he kept after he shipped out

and have interspersed those entries as they fall between the letters.

After Joe Alvernaz wrote his letter, of course the family knewwhere he was.

Diary Entry Saturday, May 20, 1944

One week at sea, will sure be glad to reach port. Saw several flying

fish, sure is hot and crowded.

Diary Entry Sunday, May 28, 1944

15 days at see. Boy, will sure be glad to see some land.


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V-MAIL June 2, 1944

Dear Folks,

Thought I had better write and let you know I am okay. We had

quite a trip coming over. I got pretty sea sick the first two days but soon

got used to it. I was sure glad to get my feet on land again. I don’t know if

Darl will like the navy or not. I don’t care for it myself. You get kinda

a personal account from walter gilbert little united states marine

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