June 9, 1942
Tuesday night
Ft. Ord, California
Dear Folksies,
Thanks for coming down last weekend. Sunday was really a swell day and I hope that the lengthiness of the trip was worth it to you.
This morning was routine, but this afternoon we had a demonstration of various gases, getting whiffs of all of them, and then staying in a gas chamber for about five minutes with masks on. The gas was “tear gas” and we found out that our masks were most effective. After coming out of the gas chamber we took off our masks and went through the gas chamber from front to back door, in a hurry, without masks. For an observer it certainly must have looked funny to see 35 officers coming out of that building crying profusely.
Our enlisted men also went through the chamber same as we did. The nurses went through with masks, but not without them.
Loads of love,
.
