Malvern daily record., 1917-11-13
LETTER FROM
 ROY W. CARVER

l enlisted, was examined and sworr into the navy on the 27th of June 1917, in Elpaso, Texas; left there fol the training station at San Francisco
 Gal, on July l.
 We went the lower route by the T & P. through New Mexico and Arizo. ma. We went through Yeoma, Ore. loneof the hottest places this side o1 hades. The inhabitants there, which are mostly Indians, do not think any thing of the weather when the ther- mometer registers 125 degrees in the Ishade. It was 1p8 degrees when we went through on the 3rd of July There were twenty of us in the bunch land we almost smoothered in the car I with four fans going all the time. The dust would blow in the car so bad that you could not tell but that you had returned to dust, and there was dust in everything that we ate.
 While crossing the Rocky mountains we would be down in the valley about to suffocate and look out of the cal window at the top of the mountain land see them covered with snow. Dur ling that evening we had a lady in the next car to ours to faint from the effects of the heat. When we left the mountains we struck the Emperial Valley where it has not rained for six fyears. On the night of the third we Handed in Los Angeles, laid over there E for three hours. My friend and started out to explore the city but Ifroze out before we got started, l when only about three or four hours before we were about to melt and try ling to get off all the clothes possible. Los Angeles is surely one of Gods chosen. 1t has one of the most per feet climates in the world.
 At 10 o'clock D. m. on the Fourth of July we landed in San Francisco. There was no one to meet us and thre- fore, not knowing where to go we were n apfetty bad plight. At last we asked sailor what we should do, and 1 he said that if we ever wanted to see the. city we had better do 1t then. learned since that he was right. for now 1t is the 18th of September and 1 have been over there three times We decided to spend the night there The next morning at 10 o'clock we as sembled at the dock to take a boat over to the training station on Goat Island, so called because it has gotten the goat of about nine or ten thousand men In the last six months.)
 There on the docks was where my troubles began. When I left Fl Paso the recruiting officer did not give me q pass to the Island, so when I started up the gang plank and the boats swan asked me for my pass and was unable to procure 1t, I was put under arrest, but thanks to the guard he got me mussed up with the other bunch and 1 gave him the dodge and have not seen him since. When we got to the dock at the Island which is about two miles from the city, we got off the boat. was lined up and marched up to the barracks, there we had to stand out Tn line for about two hours to get another examination. There was where the standing in line started and believe me, 1t has never ceased yet for we have to line up to get drink of water or to go to bed. After the ex- animation, which some of the boys failed to pass, we were marched around to "ehow" I did not know what that was but asked one of the sailors and he said it was dinner. which was welcomed by all It con sisted of spuds, boiled beef, gravy. soup, apples and ice cream, which we eagerly devoured. We are we'll fed at all times here. After lunch we were marched into the store room to get our clothes. It was there that we realized that we were no longer free men. We were told to pull off all clothes. A large fellow came alonp and sized us up, and then he called out some number, and they brought in middy, the kind that the school girls wear. l asked him what he wanted me to do with it and he said put 1t on, which took about thirty minutes of hard work. Then came a pair of trusers, the pattern I never saw before. They are about 30 inches around at the bottom of the leg. The way they are made at the top would be impossible to describe. So that is what Is wished on us for clothes.
 Next we were marched up the hill to detention camp where we had to stay for twenty-one days. During the time had our hair clipped off. given three G. P. and vaccinated. After thot l went further up the hill to the hos lpital school which branch I joined and am in school now and like if fine Have to get up at five and run one DTedkIASI. made up my bed, sweep the deck is mot really the deck, just the floor of Jour tentour tent where three of us stay. We say deck to make it sound like we are sailors. Then, at 6:45 we line up for chow. When chow is over we go out and march until 9 o'clock, then we go to school the rest of the day. The same thing over every dty, T except Saturday and Wednesday, when we have everything we possess, from our cot to kerchief to wash.
 We are here on the island for six months training, then we go to diffe- lent place and France.
 The way l have pictured it may seem hard, but it is not, we think it lis great
 l Good bye, I will meet you in France and maybe we will get to see the Kia- ser. aS
 U. s. N. T. S. H. c. s.
 San Francisco, Cal.