Camp McCoy in the Words of My Uncle: 2020-07-12

June 21, 1943

Dear Mom,

I know you're always watching the mailbox for letters so will write you a few lines to-night. We are back in camp, but what a week we've been through.

I got the Sunday paper but you shouldn't do that, it's too much. Just send a few letters each week to help keep my courage up. I got the candy. I'll answer your last letter to-morrow night. It's after ten and we just got back from a two hour talk or lecture.

Last week we had supper at 8:30 most every night. Sometimes after that we would go out again on night problems. One night we sat on a high hill watching things going on below, like matches, flashlights, cutting wood, sound, talking, gun fire etc. Each time they would tell us how far away it was. Sometimes you couldn't believe what you saw. Got back one night at 10 another 11:30 o'clock. Friday we walked 3 miles in 30 minutes and then were told we were walking too slow. (six miles an hour) One day this week we have to do 9 miles in 2 hours. It's not bad for a short time but 9 miles is quite a walk.

I'll write you to-morrow night. No matter how I try these days or nights it seems uneasiness comes. Maybe I'll feel different to-morrow night. Don't worry I'm o.k. I still love home and looking to come back home. Good night Mom.

Love to all

Charles

As I have been reading the letters the last several weeks, I have noticed how the soldiers are being made to do more and use more time training. Getting up earlier. Going to bed later. More practice, like more shooting and even more walking and marching. Practicing slithering under barb wire. Listening and seeing what you can see and hear at night.
They are preparing them for the realities of war. War is really exhausting, fighting has no time table, listening and seeing what is happening can save your life. I think you are getting what I am saying.
Training that some of our earlier soldiers in Africa and Italy appears to have never received in 1942 before entering the war. I noticed this while reading about the battles in those areas in 1942-1943 from Rick Atkison's books. If you want a day by day, battle by battle accounts of the war in Northern Africa, then Sicily and Italy, and finally from Normandy to Berlin then you might enjoy his "The Liberation Trilogy."