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Aug 22, 1943
Dear Brother
I will drop you a few lines to let you know how the Infantry is This is a business place down here. It have been as hot as 120 degrees. But now it feels good to get a coat on.
Wednesday was the first day I shot the Rifle. We didn’t do anything else but shoot I shot it so much that I got tired of it I bet I shot a barrel of cardges it shoots better than any Rifle I have ever shot.
We shot for Record Thursday I missed Expert by 4 points But I made Sharpshooter easy. The Major said if they hadn’t Rushed us we would have made about 20 points more. A lot didn’t even Make Marksman.
We had to shoot 200 yds 300 yds and 500 yds we shot Slow and Fast. That Fast shooting We had to shoot 9 bullets in 30 seconds. I hit 7 bulls eys out of 9 Shots.
You had to get 140 points to Make Marksman. 165 to make ASharpshooter and 180 to make Expert. I got 176 I missed expert by 4 points.
My Rifle number is 180133. It’s a shoting piece of stuff. It is a M1 a 30 Calber it shoots 8 times just as fast as you can pull the trigger the bullets is about 3 inches long. It will shoot through a 30 inch tree.
It kicks about 5 times as hard as a shot gun My face was sore as it could be when we got through a lot of Men got their Mouth Mashed and Black eys Bouses on their arms I would to take that Rifle and shoot at crows and hawks I bet I could a cro for 500 yds.
I think we will shot the Machine guns this coming week well well since news is scarce I will close By By


[ hand drawn picture of a sharpshooters badge ]
Sharpe Shooter that what I will get