Subject: Letter from a New W. Va. Marine

Dear Ma and Pa
Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Mitch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay
in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late.
Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, they get
warm water.
Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc..., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit between two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again.
It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys gets sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.
The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none. This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting
medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get into this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,
Sue Ellen

Believe it or not, when I was in the Marine Corps 35 years ago there were guys in there just like that.

At work we have folks FROM WV, and a FEMALE former (not X) Marine. Good humor - appreciated by all of the above.

You may have heard the song "5 pounds of 'possum" - written by a guy not too far from here. A lot of truth for some folks around here too.

Five pounds of possum

My children are hungry, and my dog needs a bone.
I ain't got a job now, so I'm just drivin home.
An hour after sundown, and much to my delight.
There's five pounds of possum, in my headlights tonight.


* There's five pounds of possum, in my headlights tonight.
If I can run him over, everything's gonna be alright.
We'll have some possum gravy, oh what a wonderful sight.
There's five pounds of possum, in my headlights tonight.


Don't have to kill no chicken, don't have to open no can.
Just a little bit closer and I'll have him in my hand.
I think the time has come now to dose him with the brights.
There's five pounds of possum, in my headlights tonight.


* Refrain