New Sailor Likes Navy
Dear Gar:
This is the end of my second week here and I think it is wonderful. I’m certainly not sorry that I chose the Navy.
Our company is the only rated company in our battalion. All the men of our company came into the Navy with a rating. Some are machinists, some are bakers, cooks, painters, etc. There about forty of us with hospital apprentice ratings. Our company is composed of 120 men.
At present we are in our detention period. Everyone has to be vaccinated so we are forbidden to leave camp until that is over. Two weeks from today we get out of detention and four weeks from tomorrow we have our graduation exercises. Then we will know if we are to get a nine-day leave or if we are immediately sent out to sea or some other base.
Gar, please give my regards to everyone.
Sincerely,
Keith Van De Water, HA 2C.
Co. 638, Batt. 25, USNR
USN Training Station
Great Lakes, Illinois.
Source: The Ireton Ledger, August 20, 1942
