Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-07-24
Sends His Parents a Descriptive
Letter About His Life i'm Uncle
Sans Navy i'm Brooklyn,
New York.
WAS IN ATTENDANCE AT
MAYOR MITCHELL'S FUNERAi.
Called at $3.50 i'm the Morning and
Then Goes Through Hourly
Drills Until $3.50 in the
Afternoon
City Park Ba tracks
Armed Draft Detail
Brooklyn, N. Y.
July u. 1918

4 AIIueu Drdll DSIdlt
Brooklyn, N. Y.
July II, 1918
Dear Folks and Sis:
AS / haven't heard from any OF
you for about three days, / think I'd
! better drop you line. So now as
the old rusty saying goes ''if slapped
on one cheek turn your head and get
the other side warmed so no hard
feelings can be found" so that's
what | am doing, writing twice to
your once. I(rather two) of us
went out to Yonkers last night and
as usual it rained, but it didn't
! 5othe: us in the least, for we went
i to a show first. Afterward went
home, sweet home. Had ice cream,
sandwiches and cake, and by the
way, ma, the cake had chocolate
i tfrosting about an inch, more or less,
thick so its memory of the kind
mother used to make. 1t was then
about twelve, so we played couple
of pieces on the Victor and hoped
around on one foot, often misstep-
ping and chusing the smaller party
much agony. At least it sounded
that way. Well to make long story
short we got back to the barracks at
1870 a. M, but we we.e reused with
out much ? ? trouble at $3.50, so
I'm going to stay here at the Y. M.
G.. A tonight and sleep until seven
in the morning.
I We go on watch tomorrow, 50
went get Is hour leave, but If we
are here the following week I see
where we will be exempt from duty
I for long leave of 4S hours. We
went on hike today to the central
Y M. G. A. located on Wyville ave
! only about two miles from home, SO
it wasn't half as bad as the five mile
hike out to the Athletic field. Our
bunch met the IT, S. S. North Dakota
scrubs in swimming meet; no
need telling the results for the Arm
led Guards were never known to be
downed, Just like the 1915 Decorah
high school basket ball buhch. Ha!
Ha
So you wanted to know what | do
ali day. Well seeing you only Asked
for the day duty I'll explain, but |
want to first give you tip and that
! Is not to ask what my night duty is,
because that's perfectly private. At
$3.50 we a.e supposed to arise. At
six we are to run around the park,
which is about " mile around. /
guess it's to get you Jared loose 50
you'll be able to swallow the grub.
AT $50 is chow; 8 a. m. we are
mustered and the first period is
usually sitting up exercises; a. m.
we have submarine drill, including
the loading; 10 a. m. we have "dotter
drill" for pointers and trainers OF
the screw and the rest study sea-
manship. At 1915 is chow; l p. m.
we have anything from artillery drill
to holding a knitting club; p. m.
we have seamanship or boat dcill,
once in a while we have knot tieing.
dummy target practice with Colt re-
volvers and the Springfield rifles;
1890 is the last, hut worst of all for
most of us. I'm blushing when
scribbling it, but its Singing Drill;D
at 43O is chow, and $3.50 is liberty,
except when on watch, which comes
about twice week. So thus endeth
perfect day as far as drill Is conf
eerned.
The officers are putting up bonus
of SIG week for the best work
done per crew. but we haven't been
notified as yet; l can't tell why, but
they must have overlooked our
mobile work"
Some of the boys had exam. for
saa-len the other day and when they
| ed le back~I asked what some OF the
qEestions were. They said they
never saw anything like them, tone
alibi for ignorance.) l asked what
they were like and hereis what one
said: "How strong is an onion?
Also "how many croalSes has
| lf.og?", so now ii you will look 1t up
III Webster's for me and give the
correct answer the fellows will wear
the knees out of their trousers In
giving thanks,
Did you have your party as you IN
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