November 28, 1973 (Letter from Barb Nelson)

Hi!  Well I made it to Orlando at 9:10 on Friday.  A bus picked all the waves at the airport, and fifty screaming girls rode twenty miles to the base.  We got our barracks and I finally made it to bed by 12:00, I was dead.  Saturday we arose at 3:00 in the morning and then I really knew I was in the Navy.

Now that I have been in for six days I can say that it's hard work, but I will make it through basics.  Everything we do has to be precise.  The reason behind this is to see how well we follow instructions. But at 0600 it is hard to think let alone follow orders.

There are fifty girls in our company with ten cubicles and five-eight girls in a cube.  We get along fairly good, but you always have bad days, like today.  We couldn't march worth shit.  Can you see me marching to classes, mess, everywhere?  I even went to church on Sunday.  It was unbelievable.  Everybody clapped, put their arms around each other, and cheered.  But it was a religious ceremony.  I enjoyed myself and plan to attend church every Sunday.

We had our shots and my arms were sore, the food is fair and I am an ice cream freak now, also the girls in my company are fantastic.  We get along tremendously.

Sure we get screamed at, we have to stand at attention, do a lot of petty shit that wouldn't apply to ordinary life; but I'm looking ahead to the final outcome.  I hope to travel all over!!  I know that I can apply myself and I will, but right now I have to work as a company.  I'm trying to keep out of trouble.  I'll have to learn to discipline myself for now.  I'll be out in nine weeks.

I won't be home for Xmas and right now I don't plan on coming home after graduation.  I want to go to my school right away.  I would like to save my vacation for some other time.

By the way, I graduate Feb 1, so I have awhile to go.

I'm getting along, I'm fine, and I'm glad I'm out of Warren.  The only reason I want to go back to Warren is to see Mom and Dad.  But everytime I say that and I do go back we don't talk about anything important.  So maybe it I go out in the world and get on my own, and then after an extended period of time came back to re-establish a firm relationship with Mom and Dad.  I can say I miss my family, but I'm not homesick.

Write back soon.