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Camp Pickett, Virginia – September 22, 1942 – November 20, 1942

July 9, 1942

July 9, 1942
Thursday

Ft. Ord, California

Dear Folksies,

       Thanks for the swell weekend last Sat. and Sun. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I know I did.

       Monday I had a couple of lectures to give and was kept moderately occupied during the day making preparations for the next two days.

       Tuesday and yesterday we spent out in the field, running simulated patients through our hospital again, however the 1st Medics couldn’t join us, so we had to run our own men through as patients and consequently ran only a total of 100 men through the period we worked. We didn’t run into the night at all this time.

       Our new system for the Receiving Section works so smoothly that we were through in no time with each group of patients that they sent us. Of course, when we actually have ill patients we will be taking more time, examining them, etc. in that Section.

       For a change, we had good meals out in the field. In fact, they were better meals than many that we have at the barracks. We were in bed early on Tuesday night, all being asleep before 10 P.M. We found one big trouble, however, and that was that the site picked for us to pitch our tents was nothing but a beautiful poison-oak area. If no one in our outfit comes down with poison-oak we are going to be a muchly surprised outfit. You couldn’t step 2 feet without crushing some poor, not-so-defenseless, poison-oak plant.

       Yesterday we returned about 2 P.M. and then proceeded to Del Monte for our amphibious training.

       Latest dope is that we will be desert rats for about 6 weeks in August and September. Just a lovely time of year for that stuff.

                    Loads of love,

rene-transparent.

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