XII

my outfit are cutting a wide sweep around of the plants of the nurses, especially Hurst, who really can sling a beautiful line, and they seem to have a couple of different nurses each meal. Tonight, they had a couple of more, and they were chewing the rag with them late, and when they departed, I and a few of the KP’s whom I had coached gave them the wolf call, “Woo, Woo”, in a very loud chorus as left, which gave me some delightful inner satisfaction, as both of them were slightly embarassed. However, I know that they are both nice guys and could appreciate my humor without holding anything against me.

I guess I still like George DeGenero [?] about as much as any of the fellows, and I am trying my best, really putting myself out to make a close friend of him. He has me worried, as he has fallen into a very sullen mood and has been that way since Camp Dix.  He fought off a bad case of sea-sickness for the first three days aboard ship, being intelligent enough, however, to stay on deck. He has about reached the stage I was in about six months after I entered the army.  And I am trying to snap him out of it.  He is one of the most brilliant fellows I have ever met and has the keenest power of observation I have ever seen, probably being the smartest individual in the batallion, including all the officers. He is a very quiet guy, but a couple of times we were on deck late at night, I broke through his shell and managed to get him to unburden himself a little. I think he is going to come in her and work tomorrow, so I have already arranged it with the steward, whom I have really performed a good snow job on.

The morale of the fellows deep underneath, despite all their bitching is surprisingly good, and they are storing up all the hardships and indignities of this boat trip to let them loose on the enemy. It reminds me a lot of a fraternity initiation, where a man undergoes a lot of abuse, but comforts himself with the knowledge that when he is a member, he will make the next

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