Laurel outlook., 1944-06-21

corps and am waiting transfer t.
school. l value the time 1 hav,
spent in the service very highly
and believe that the boys who have
been through the thick of it the
past few months received the best
training, are and preparation Of
any soldiers on earth.
Again l thank you and the friends
who make the paper possible.
Pvt. Melinda E. Starbard, Fort
Des Moines, Iowa, June 10:
Now it can be told! We were
given our address today, which is
for the next five weeks during
basic. l would appreciate your
sending the paper to this address.
We had an interesting but slow
journey. l was seven and a half
hours late reaching Denver, and
was delayed 16 hours from Denver
to Des Moines.
In Denver l visited Mr.. and Mrs.
Henry Van Camp and Mr.. and Mrs.
Bill Goick. former Laurel residents.
M-Sgt. T. A. Griffin, England,
June 8:
I have been receiving the Outlook
regularly, but have had a change
in APO since I wrote you last. l
wish to thank you and give my in
depreciation of life in the ETC.
In the first place we had a nice
summer, so the boys say. 1 was
on pass that day and slept through
it, but some day all the Yanks will
be on one edge of this island and
turn it over, and roll off the fog;
then we will have some good Mon
tana weather.
One of the favorite pastimes over
here is cycling. Yes, sir! These
English bikes are something. Some
of them r so high the fellows
yell "Timber!" when they want to
dismount. And there is the speed
demon type, with handlebars re-
sembling an inverted V for Victory
with ears, which makes a guy COM
ing down the road look like n of
Dial Cunningham's old dogs on a
hot trail.
Most of us have mastered the
hand brake (there are no coaster
brakes) which either has a death
grip on touching and losses you
into a mound of liquid English soil,
or the type which, with a death
grip on the brake, lets you smash
into some small English car like a
Montana kids peddle car. The dis
.asterous result is knocking the little
over a fence, and scratching
paint on your bike, not counting
few small bruises here and there.
Most of the boys have adapted
themselves to their environment
quite we'll. The gossip in small
barracks circles have it that some
IF the boys are actually drinking
ga! Personally 1 still prefer good
Did black coffee over a cottonwood
and sage fire.
l am in one of the oldest groups
'ver here and | can truthfully add
It's the best outfit I've ever been
With. These boys are really on the
'all-not only the boys who carry
he payload over Berlin, but also
he guy who stands out there and
'sweats" 'em down, ready to patch
hat flack hole or change a cranky !
.ngine, replace a radio set that has
a 20 mm., or numerous {
'ther things which are reported. t
of things can happen to air 1
raft in combat, but the boys fix l
hem. Get them into the air" is S
he motto. If a part isn't avail r
ble-well, they just make one. q
All of us will be glad to see t
he end of the whole thing and re- G
urn to being Mr.. Jones or Mr..
smith again, who goes fishing once c
n a while and can talk we'll in a /
orse trade. t.
Jerry has learned what made in p
S. A." means. 1t isn't just a f
ew letters stuck together, but has b
story behind it which would oc- II
upy a volume. 1t means the best S
nd deadliest in the world. II
Most of us fellows really know 81
ne meaning OF Ine WORDS: we have W
the results. Not only we but II
ne rest of the world will continue II
see the results of these creations a
ntil the war god Mars is a
roken piece of rusty junk. He is
-umbling now. l hope everyone at fc
ONE realizes that, and that all T
that extra little push which
i'll bring the old boy to his knees. n;
know they will, because they are til
mericans! +r
| think I had better sign off. I gi
ish to sincerely thank you for the W,
aper. 1t makes a guy feel kinda "
ose to people, even if they are
alf way around the world from h,
m. You're doing a good job. Lau- nc
i Outlook, and we appreciate it. re
Public relations office, infantry te,
hool, Fort Benning, Ga, June IA. or