الأحد، 27 فبراير 2011

Letters from Camp Shelby, early October

Dear Anson,                                                                                                                               1 OCT 10
How are you? I am fine. I am living in the state of Mississippi, working for the Army. Can you find Mississippi on your map? I flew in an airplane to Salt Lake City from Boise, Idaho. Then I got on a different plane and flew from Salt Lake City to Atlanta Georgia. It was my first time to be in Atlanta. It was really hot there! Then I got on a third airplane and flew back the other direction to Gulfport Mississippi. Gulfport is down at the bottom very close to the ocean. Then I got on a bus and rode to the town of Hattiesburg. It is north by northwest of Gulfport about 60 miles. Near Hattiesburg is an Army base named Camp Shelby. That is where I have been working and sleeping for 17 days. I miss you!
Love, DAD

Dear Bo,
I am at Camp Shelby Mississippi. It is an Army base. Every day there are 3 songs played really loud all over the base. At 6 a.m. is the wake up song, Reveille. At 5 p.m. is a song called Retreat followed by To the Colors. Then late at night is a song called Taps at 2200 or 10 p.m.  If I am outside when the songs come on, I stand up really tall and salute till the song is over. After the music is over everybody goes back to what they were doing. But during the music everyone is quiet and still.
Love, DAD

Dear Eden,
How are you? Are you doing good? I am doing good too! I am working in the Army in Mississippi. Every morning I eat a yummy breakfast in a cafeteria. We call it a chow hall in the Army. We also call it a DFAC. That means dining facility. Weird names huh? Every morning I have been eating scrambled eggs with some bacon and a biscuit with sausage gravy. It is so yummy. I also eat some fruit, usually cantaloupe and honeydew melon. This morning I ate a banana as well. Breakfast is my favorite. There is cereal here too but I didn’t eat any yet because I like the hot food a lot. Do you like my breakfast foods?
Love, DAD

Excerpt from letter to Kendra. (to much mushy gushy stuff in the rest of the letter)
I ran 5.6 miles this morning. The first week I was here I felt really strong at running, probably because of being so near sea level. But I think I have acclimated now because it feels just like running in Idaho. Life so far has been anything but routine. This past week we moved buildings and then 2 days later switched from using PowerPoint and Excel software for most of our products to a new software the Army has adopted. I have been working with it this past year since March during a few drills. Dennis and Sergio have been in class the last two days learning the software, which has left just Brian and me tracking all the info and reports on the bridge. (That is the name for where we work) It’s probably named after the bridge on Star Track, and it kind of resembles that….lots of images projected on screens and people sitting behind computers working on who knows what. Casey has been working the night shift from 2000 to 0800, but he is going to the 3 day class to learn the new software starting Thursday, so I will transition to the night shift tomorrow. The nights are less busy so I will probably be able to read that final book in the Hunger Games series that you sent me.

Dear Valley View Elementary Class 3A,
This is Anson’s dad, Captain Bishop. I am writing from Camp Shelby, Mississippi, preparing to go to Iraq with the U.S. Army. Thank you all for the cards you made me. Anson’s mom hid them in my back pack. It was a big surprise to find them when I got here to Mississippi. Thank you for the great pictures and kind words you wrote to me. Your cards made me proud to be serving my country and doing my part to keep all of you and your families safe. I’m glad you are all in school and learning. Be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in the USA and be grateful for the time you get to spend with your families. Keep up the good things you are doing in school and thanks for being nice and helpful to Anson. I miss him a lot!
Your Army friend, Captain Bishop

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