Driving and Operating - 10/17/1916

El Paso, Tex.,

Oct. 17, 1916

My Dear Parents: -

Your letter containing the $5 rec. O.K. & thank you very much. Mother's letter rec. this evening.

Harold Neff wrote me a very nice letter. Ruth Collett wrote me a nice letter, she has to withdraw from school owing to poor health. Leona has been writing often, so, on the whole I am receiving my share of mail.

Our two fellows, who were kicked by mules are recovering very nicely. They may have to operate on the one, whose bowels they think are ruptured.

The latest report our officers have received is that we must rec. three months of Border training and so it will undoubtedly hold us here until after the first of the year. The report also stated that we would rec. no pay until we are sent home. I suppose the means that we will get to have the experience of eating an army Xmas dinner. - it consists of turkey, etc.

If I thought that you folks would not worry about me I could rec. a fine training and enjoy myself at the same time. We are getting a nice Medical lecture every afternoon now, - and you know that is just the part I like. I have been assigned to an amb. as driver now so don't have to be on my feet for drills any more they do not bother me so to speak, but I have broken the support in my left shoe.

Will send you the size later.

I have had only two headaches since we came and the bright sun does not bother my eyes. I have some dark goggles for use when the sun is extra bright.

We performed an operation on Norman De Mun's finger yesterday and removed a growth similar to the one I had, only this was the size of a marble. This afternoon we had equitation (horse-back drill) again & we went down to the Rio Grand River, we also we to Electric Park, where Mother & I went to see the International Aviation Meet & it rained.

They teach us to ride at a walk, a trot, a gallop, with & without stirrups & with & without reins, they had us mount with & without use of stirrups and at a standstill, and moving, so you see our training is quite extensive.

Will write to Col. for the clothes again.

Love to all
Your Son,
Howard

Everyone says I am getting fat in the face - if this keeps up I think I'll have to take a reducer.

The above photo (from the El Paso Pubic Library again) really has nothing to do with anything. I just liked it and had no other photo to use. I've been sitting on this post for a while because I keep researching different angles and keep coming up short. Figured a dead-end post is better than no post at all!

I hoped to find information on what medical conditions might have been like for Howard as he operated on his buddy Norman's finger or for the poor fellow who may have had to have a bowel operation from another darn mule. In a paper by William Sanders Marble about the Army who preceded Howard's National Guard in Mexico, I did get the gist that disease was generally under control when the regular army was the only game in town. Then, the National Guard rolled in and measles, dysentery, and VD rolled in with them. I would imagine the lesser-trained National Guardsmen may have also had a harder time dealing with these outbreaks as well.

That's all I got, folks. I hope you were able to thank a veteran today. Thanks, Howard.

age when sanitary engineers and public health physicians

were famous, the doctors were aggressive in pursuing the

causes of disease, although there seems to have been no

public health campaign in the villages. Food sources, han-

dlers, and kitchens were checked, as was hand washing and

dishwashing. Doctors regularly inspected latrines to control

flies and pushed commanders to clean up manure from horse

lines. One mild malaria outbreak was quickly quelled with

mosquito bars, quinine, and isolating the infected.

7

Laundries

and baths were established not

only for comfort but against

skin diseases.