Camp McCoy in the Words of My Uncle: POST FORTY-ONE (Shooting at 2:30 in the Morning ) 6 Jun 1943

Rear View of Camp McCoy Barracks

Sunday Morning

June 6, 1943

Dear Mom and All,

Here it is Sunday morning cloudy, cold and looks a lot like rain. I have just come back from cleaning the gun so will write you a letter before chow. Will I be glad when I can sit down to a table at home and eat a meal with some taste to it. Things here taste all alike.

A fellow from Maine had a Portland Paper sent to him last week and as I read it I found that the woman at the mill who always sends me the Sunday paper was sick at the Maine General Hospital so I just sent her a card. Hope she gets it as I just wrote her name and the hospital.

I read the notice on the board and find that first call is 2:30 Monday morning. We will be firing the 30 caliber rifles all day. Hope I make a good score. On top of getting up at 2:30 I pull guard duty to-morrow night. How is that starting for a week?

I got up about 1 o'clock last night and had a lunch, pineapple spread and crackers, m-m-m was it good. Ha, Ha.

The way it feels to-day guess we'd better go back into O.D. clothes.

I got sister something at the P.X. the other night. You have to buy them when they come in or they don't last long. They don't have much worth buying in the first place. Now if your thing would only come. You'll think I was lying about sending a box if that doesn't some soon.

Got your letter I expected yesterday. A letter from home is better than ice cream. Saying a lot don't you think. Ha Ha. No, it's not. I'll take a letter from home above anything else. I also got the little note. Ma, you old fox leave it to you for slipping in that note after you'd sealed the envelope.

$5.00 a day for Helen. Tell her she should strike like a lot of other Americans (maybe) are doing, strike. Why don't some one shoot that D____ Lewis or put him in a fox hole with a rifle in his hand, give him $50.00 a month, tell him to buy war bonds with it, take out insurance, pay for washing and a dozen other things, then if he doesn't like it tell him as the army says it, "that's just T.S." Oh I forgot, Mom, you're not in the army so I will tell you what T.S. is Tough Shi.

Well, Mom, I don't think you'll ever see Marian outside of a picture. She's going to have them taken for me. As I told her after this is over with we'll never see each other again. I haven't seen her for over two weeks now but hope to next weekend. I had girl once and now I just don't seem to care. I had a letter from someone with no name on it. I think I know who it was and the person doesn't care a bit about me -- I mean it's a girl but she's not after me. I think she did it just to let me know as a friend. Quite sure it was a girl, she said Pauline (his girlfriend in Maine) wasn't any too square. Ha Ha I'm prepared for anything now. It didn't bother me a bit.

Here is some news, don't say much about it now. We have 62 Jap prisoners here. I have not seen any of them but if I ever have to guard any of them and anyone of those damn yellow rats makes a move he's a dead rat. They come from across. Bring them over to this country and let them live is too good for them. I'd rather fight the Germans any day.

I'm sending you some targets. Had a strong wind blowing the day we fired.

Well write soon. O.K.. Pop, how about aiming at the seat of your pants. Take a look at those targets. Give my love to all.

From Your Son in Wisconsin

-to-

The folks back home in Maine

Love Charles

MOTHER-xxxx

Kerchief sent to his sister, Helen
from the P.X. at Camp McCoy

^^Jun 5 Philippine President José P. Laurel survives assassination attempt after being shot 4 times with a 45 caliber pistol while playing golf at Wack Wack Golf Course in Mandaluyong.