Sept. 5
Sun nite 8:15
Dearest Mother,
Just a few lines to let you know that I'm feeling fine and hope that you are the same.
Well mother, not much new to say except that we went out on a problem Fri. morn at 4:30
and didn't get back till yesterday morn at 2:00 oclock.
I spent all afternoon today washing my clothes and my pack and they were really dirty.
It rained about the time we went out on Fri. and it didn't stop until about 4:30 Sat. morn.
That's how my clothes got so dirty. We had to crawl through mud that came over our hands and
legs when we were crawling.
I didn't get any sleep Fri. night at all. We got to our destination about 7 oclock and had to
dig our foxholes. At nine we laid around in the wet cold muddy ground till 12 oclock and then
ate chow. My buddy, Joe Wertner and I were put on guard till 2:30 then we ate breakfast and at
3 oclock we started our problem. We walked for 8 mi. before we encountered the enemy, which was
7:30. That's when we started our running and hitting the ground, and when I hit the ground I
thought I'd never get up for how far I sunk in. We finally captured the enemy at 12:30 and at 1:30 we
started in. We rode in to camp in trucks which really was a break. If we would have had to walk
in I don't think any of us would have made it, that's how tired we were.
When we got back we cleaned our rifles which took about 2 or 3 hrs. They were all rusty and full
of mud. After we finished most of us went to sleep. I laid down on my bed at 6:30 and didn't get
up till 7:30 this morn. I still had my clothes on when I got up. But sleeping in my clothes is
nothing new any more.
Well mother nothing more to say so I close with love to you, daddy and the kids.
Loving Son,
"Jim"
