Bald Buzzard Ridge Mountainville, RFD 2
Mr. and Mrs. Braithwaite Backus,


Dear Ma and Pa:
Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Army beats working for Old Man Minch a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all 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 You got to shave, but it is not bad in warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc. but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, beef, ham steak, fried eggplant, pie and 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.

It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route marches," which, the Sgt. 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 all get sore feet and we ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.

The Sgt. is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Cols. and Gens. 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 bull's-eye is near as big as a chipmonk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higsett 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 fellows get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving son, Zeb

P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 for barn roof and ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good. -

It's all in your point of view, huh?

My Daddy was born and raised in bfe WVA (Poco Cty.) and I always thought it was country until last Sunday....


I went to Elbe WA, in the foothills of Mt Raineer.


All I will say is WVA is full of city slickers!

Before my dad went off to WWII he worked in a Pa. coal mind after school and all day sat. and sunday to help out the family,he went on to becoame an electronic engineer and worked for the FED govt, attaining  GS 14.
He knew how to work hard and not complain.
I remember once it was snowing lightly and i complained that i needed a ride to school,he said get in the car ,I get in and he drives me an extra 2 miles away from school and says have a good day son.
I looked over at my dad and said thanks dad and got out and walked my humble ass to school.
If i would have complained at that point i might have had to walk from 5 miles away,and my dad didn't raise no fool,never make the same mistake twice,not around my dad anyway.
Strong lessons from a strong man.