Sept 17, 1943 “They come of course from the city and are more alert.” (Alex)

I was really torn about whether to title this post with the quote from this letter: “this is the flap that goes down when you want to use your dickey.” But I showed great restraint! Alex is settling in, and recounts his routine and what they wear each day in pretty good detail. They woke up at 5AM and lights out were at 9:30PM. Alex sounds upbeat in the face of this new life. He also likes his commanding officer and I like the idea of him showing off his family. “This afternoon I walked back to my company with officer in command Mr. McCaine and I showed him your picture and baby’s. He is the finest person that you can think of very human, and warm. He really treats all of us fine and the boys are all crazy about him.” Having only known Alex as an old man, it’s hard for me to imagine him as a eager-to-please, new draftee. But I see he values warmth, humanity, intelligence, and political awareness just as he did as a grandfather.

Sept 17, 1943

Dear honey,

We are beginning to get into the routine over here, right now we are in the barracks getting the Taylor to take measurements and to cut off the things that have to be cut out, and to give us “the whatch (?) stripe” which is a white striped around the shoulder on the black jumper and black stripe on the whites. To give you an idea what is life around here I’ll try to describe it to you. 

At 5:00 in the morning is waking hours the guards come and wake you up by yelling “hit the deck”. You wash, shave, put on your boots make your bed, fix your locker (they call square the clothes, everything has to be just so.] Then clean the barracks, my duty this morning was to clean the window. We wear dungarees for work. After they allow you to go out to what they call the smoking circle and have a smoke. Then around 7:00AM Breakfast to which we merch down in step. Of course we didn’t have that yet, but we will have callistenics and drills from 8 to 12:30 than lunch than from 1:30 to 4:30 drill. After change of clothes either into whites or blacks so far there were no white to wear of which we are very happy because of the washing problem. Then around 5:30PM supper. Then smoking, or going to the canteen, lectures movies letter writing and everything that has to be done. At 9:30 lights out of course between 7 and 9:00 you have to shine shoes, wash, shower and all little other things. What makes you loose a lot of time of course is the finding your lockers, because everything that is inside has to be just so, (this has been written in the morning I had to stop now it is ten after nine I am in bed and will write till lights out) and you are bound for inspection any minute of the day. 

This afternoon they put me in charge of the window cleaning detail, everything will have to shine in our bunk house which is supposed to be the ship. Even the sides are called names such as bow, or port side. 

I bet you want to know about our pants, well I’ll draw a picture [DRAWING]

This is a string that you can adjust the pants to proper size.

This is the part that is used for belt.

This is a flap that goes down when you want and use your dickey.

8 minutes to go for lights out. 

I’ve met the following people. This afternoon I met Henrietta’s husband only for a moment. Also dinnertime yesterday from the UOPWA a B—? From our own union. In my own company we have quite a few good boys, they come of course from the city and are more alert. One of the guys was reading the paper and was kicking that there are no news from the important part of the battlefield. 

This afternoon I walked back to my company with officer in command Mr. McCaine and I showed him your picture and baby’s. He is the finest person that you can think of very human, and warm. He really treats all of us fine and the boys are all crazy about him.

Here is morning

Lights went out last night I am going to mail this so that you may get it tomorrow, love honey to you and baby and one million kisses to both of you 

The Old Man