1956 5 8 Walter J. Schnack to Olive Schnack

My father took a train to Camp Irwin in California for six weeks of training.  Camp Irwin became Fort Irwin in 1961.  Fort Irwin and the National Training Center was, and still is, a well-known training ground for the U.S. Army.

The family members in this letter and their relationship to him are:

• 'Mom' was Olive Letha Rose Schnack, his mother
• 'Raymond' is Raymond Cole Schnack, his son
• 'Cindy' is Cindy Lou Schnack Arsenault Coffell, his daughter
• 'Jake' was Walter J. Schnack, himself and the author of this letter
• 'Dad' was Jochim Walter Schnack, his father
• 'Eddie' was Edward Alexander Schnack, his brother
• 'Katie' was Katharine Rose Schnack Jones Gall Hammon, his sister

8 May 1956
Camp Irwin, California

Dear Mom,

Don't drop over in a faint but I'm writing you a letter after all this time.  I was busy before I came down here, and I'm really busy here, but the nights seem so long.  I go to bed at 7:00 and we get up at 4:00.  The weather here is hot and dry, cold at night.  They say it hasn't rained in parts of Camp in over 100 years and I sure believe it.  There's so much of nothing out here.  We had a nice trip out here on the train.  We had Pullmans and chow was good.  We left Wednesday night at 7:00 and next morning at 5:30 we were in Denver, then on to Laramie and into Salt Lake City 5:30 next morning Las Vegas, Nevada and we arrived at Barstow at 10:00, then a 37 mile run to Camp.  We're 36 miles

from Death Valley.  I was sure glad to get Raymond out of the hospital before I left.  They said they didn't know what was wrong unless he had mucus in his throat.  He sure had me worried.  I had to breath into his mouth for about 2 minutes before he gave a gasp.  He was eating like a horse when I left and seemed to be in real good health.  Cindy is still my little doll, though.  To me, she's so cute and she sure is a lot of fun.  I hate to be away from them for these 6 weeks.  At night when she finishes supper, we try to wait a few hours before we bathe her for bed but, if anyone runs water anywhere, she heads for the tub and jumps up and down and laughs and won't hardly leave the tub until she's had her bath.  I really get a kick out of her.

I hope she starts walking soon but I sort of hope she waits until I get back to take her first ones.  I guess she's a daddy's girl, maybe Raymond will be a mama's boy.  Well Mom, I'm getting tired and I'm going to have to bring this to a close.  This is going to have to do for a Mothers Day card, too, because you are the best Mother a guy could have.  I'll try to write again but no promises.  So, until another time, I remain

Your loving son,
Jake

P.S.
Say hello to Dad, Eddie, Katie, and all for me.