Friday December 12, 1969 ~ Letter from Boot Camp

This is the 9th in a series of letters written home while I was in Basic Training. Click on the "Boot Camp" label at the bottom of the post to see all of the letters.

Recruit Training Command (Women)
U. S. Naval Training Center
Bainbridge, Maryland ~ 12 Dec 1969

Hi Mom,

How are you all? Is the house sold for sure? When will you be moving? I'm sorry but I haven't had a chance to write all week. I got your letter Wednesday. It sounds like you had a real brawl at the Legion last weekend - I guess they think they have to get back into the swing of things. That's a pun in case you didn't get it. Thanks for the stamps. I sure needed them.

I made out pretty good on the tests last Monday. Hope I do as good this coming Monday. I didn't think the tests were too difficult but they get harder as you go along - that just means I'll have to study more - right? Actually I'm rather proud of my test scores.

• Orientation 3.6 - missed 2 out of 20
• Jobs & training 3.8 - missed 1 out of 20
• History 4.0 - didn't miss any
• First Aid 3.4 - missed 3 out of 20

My average was 3.65 - there was one girl in the company that got 4.0 in all subjects. At least half of the company is on either military or academic probation. 2.5 or less was failure (probation).

My military grades for last week improved some but our cubicle score brought my average down quite a bit. It would have been 3.56 but I ended up with a 3.05 for last week. This week it will be better.

Tuesday we had our classification interviews. My scores on the battery tests were all above average so I was qualified for almost anything except Air Controlman and Aerographer's Mate because of my eyes. You had to have 20/50 uncorrected vision. They said my right eye was 20/200 and left was 20/70. Well I didn't believe them so I asked to be retested. Today they checked my eyes and guess what - they were right. My vision has gotten worse and I'm supposed to make an appointment to get my prescription for glasses changed. Anyway I finally put down JO (Journalism), DK (Disbursing Clerk) and PN (Personnelman) for my choice of schools. Today we found out where they were located. There is a very slight chance of getting JO and a good chance for DK school which is in Newport, Rhode Island. If I don't get that its PN school in Orlando, Florida. Actually I think I'd like about anything I got in to. We get our orders in our eighth or ninth week.

We are now sophomores and are wearing our dress blues. It sure feels good to get out of those slacks and into a skirt again. You can't believe what it's done for the morale of the company. We feel like women again and also more like WAVES. Today was our first participation in the graduation ceremonies. It was pure agony - standing at attention and parade rest - which is worse than attention - for two solid hours. I thought it would never end. But it did. And the agony was worth it all. You can't imagine the feeling I had when we passed that reviewing stand! Anyway we are all proud to be wearing the Navy Waves uniform.

I have to close for now. I've got to shine a pair of shoes for the Children's Christmas Party. I'll tell you about that Sunday. Bye for now. See ya in January.

Love, Becky