The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-05-13
Kippes-::Down
Under, Writes OF
nueer Customs
Permanent blackouts,
big bugs, sugar cane
and mixed races

Doar Friend NIT. heeo.
Well I haven't written to you for
.or,e time so here goes. From the
,snd on the other side of the world,
m.ny strange things happen and
lots of queer customs down under
that you would never think peo-
nile would do.
IN regard to eats, I get just
&C good chow at my camp as you
can buy up town for six bits. This
i s,,nposed to be the land of moon
light nights where you sit out un-
der the cocoanut and palm trees
with a beautiful girl strumming a
ouitar and making love, giving
her hug or two in between times,
hit as far as I can see the girls
are as scarce as hair on a bald
headed man. I'll admit the girls
that are here have good figure,
hut YOU would have to cover their
faces. There is almost any kind of
people here you can think of, japs,
Chinese, HaWaiians, Solomons and
about 10 other types all mixed to-
sether like a person makes stew,
50 YOU can guess what it all adds
up to. I'm getting to be the best
darn hitch hiker in the country,
cause whenever / go any place my
two feet are my only means of
transportation, so my thumb comes
in handy and I get places faster
than you have any idea.
A soldier learns fast cause you
are on your own. Sometimes l
ride like a king in a Buick straight
eight and the next time in a rub
Dish truck, anything that still has
two wheels and something to make
it 60. Who cares, we are in the
army now, would I ever like to
get crack at those guys striking
back home, my bayonet would
work great.
The day is the day all good
soldiers hate. I'm on KIP. again as
the pots get shined and the china
wear goes boom on the floor, and
every time one goes boom on the
floor my pay check gets smaller;
such is life but the best line in the
army is a private. A private Amt
so dumb as most people think, if ii
wasn't for the privates the army
would fold up mighty quick.
Well / just got off KIP. Four
OF us boys peeled one hundred and
80 gallons of spuds in three hours,
These were going to make French
Try spuds, so it took another 80
minutes to slice them all up to
Try. The women Amt got nothing
on me when it comes to house
keeping in a big way. I mop
under my bed every morning also.
A speck of dirt is something you
can't find around me-, I never
wear any socks in my shoes, so
I'm also saving cotton. I got a few
palr but I'm just going native.
When it rains I go barefooted to
save my shoes. I'm getting to be
real native, also getting a darker
color on my skin as about all
ever wear is a pair of shoes,
pants and sometimes hat. I'm
eamouflaged myself 50 you won't
Know me when I come back. It's
great life if you like it.
Most of the drafted boys are
good guys. I've got the only radio
m my sleeping quarters so it is
very popular with all the boys.
II you don't obey orders or get
Iged on inspection of your equip
ment you get extra duty. I've
never got extra duty either, and
dont volunteer either cause they
asked for a couple of boys to
volunteer for a couple of hours
work when 1 was first indicted,
and they worked me three days
instead OF a couple of hours like
j