{Two letters came in the same envelope}
Jefferson Barracks
Missouri
June 22, 1943
Dear Mother;
This is going to be a short letter because I want all the sleep I can get. We had our last typhoid shot tonight and I want to feel as well as possible in spite of the shot tomorrow. I am also trying to break up a cold and I am taking everything possible for it. I had to go on sick call to get the medicine. They really have a system. You all go into the dispensary and sit down. You are eventually called to a desk and asked to give name and number. They then stick a thermometer in your mouth, if you have sore feet you get a thermometer, if you have a broken arm you get a thermometer, no matter what you have you get a thermometer. I guess the cold will break up soon.
Today we got our gas drill. We went into a house full of tear gas with our masks on. We stayed in the room ten minutes and then made a test for gas which consists of letting a little gas in the mask to see if it is present in the area. That wasn't bad but when we had to take off the masks in the room everyones eyes ran immediately and most were looked like they were crying when they dashed out. Tear gas not only irritates the eyes but burns any place in comes in contact with swet (sic). When I came out my arms, hands and neck burnt pretty badly.
We next went down in the wood and had to run without masks through screens of gas that move, Mustard gas, Phosgene, Lewisite, and chloropicrin. They are very mean gases and we ran through only to get an idea of what they smelt. You could however become very sick if you fell in any of the screens by mistake. No one was injured.
With Love
Austin
I wrote this on my knee.
Dear Mother;
I cannot write much today either because I go on K.P. tomorrow and want to get all the sleep I can. We have had it easy all day because of the typhoid shots last night but they didn't bother us at all. Usually they half kill the gang but we just had a day of rest today. All day long we sat in the woods in the natural amphitheaters that are found everywhere and listened to the baloney that the instructors slung at us. They told us all about St. Louis, the U.S.O.'s, the amusements, the dances, the good times, and everything in general. The city seems like a swell place to go.
I am going to try to get a pass for Sunday when the whole hut will go, if they get passes. We hope that we do so we can go and see things together and find out just what there is to see.
Maybe I haven't told you how we are fed. Since I am going to help, along with 90, to feed the boys I suppose I can tell you the procedure. Outside the chow hall a chow line is formed. After waiting 20 minutes to get into the hall you pick up a tray, a cup, and maybe a bowl. You then stand in line again along the wall for another 20 minutes until you come to the silverware. You then proceed to have different things put into different compartments of the tray. You then pass out of the place you get your food and sit down at tables in a room that can hold about 700. Double this because the mess hall is in 2 parts and you have the works.
With Love
Austin
I wrote this on my knee.
Jefferson Barracks
Missouri
June 23, 1943
Dear Mother;
I cannot write much today either because I go on K.P. tomorrow and want to get all the sleep I can. We have had it easy all day because of the typhoid shots last night but they didn't bother us at all. Usually they half kill the gang but we just had a day of rest today. All day long we sat in the woods in the natural amphitheaters that are found everywhere and listened to the baloney that the instructors slung at us. They told us all about St. Louis, the U.S.O.'s, the amusements, the dances, the good times, and everything in general. The city seems like a swell place to go.
I am going to try to get a pass for Sunday when the whole hut will go, if they get passes. We hope that we do so we can go and see things together and find out just what there is to see.
Maybe I haven't told you how we are fed. Since I am going to help, along with 90, to feed the boys I suppose I can tell you the procedure. Outside the chow hall a chow line is formed. After waiting 20 minutes to get into the hall you pick up a tray, a cup, and maybe a bowl. You then stand in line again along the wall for another 20 minutes until you come to the silverware. You then proceed to have different things put into different compartments of the tray. You then pass out of the place you get your food and sit down at tables in a room that can hold about 700. Double this because the mess hall is in 2 parts and you have the works.
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