Translations:Chapter One Trey/68/zh-cn

I recognize my dad in the nineteen-year-old who wrote frequent letters home from basic training and later Officer Candidate School. He is humorous, self-aware, talks of how hard he’s working, shows deep feelings for his family back home. Woven throughout his letters is frustration over how difficult the Army’s uncertain schedule makes it for him to arrange a home visit. He’s playful, apologetic for needing extra money from home for small purchases (underwear) and because he loaned another recruit fifteen dollars. Mostly he is thoughtful about his life. The military is hard, he reports. But he focuses on how he is growing, striving to be better. He marvels at the new world he’s exposed to, young men from all walks of life, poor, rich, and people of color. With a group of Southerners, my dad argues about the Civil War.

我爸在接受基础训练期间，以及后来进入预备军官学校时，都经常写信回家。从那个19岁年轻人写的信里，我已经能看到父亲后来的影子。他性格幽默、有自知之明，会告诉家人自己有多努力，也流露出对家人深厚的感情。信里他偶尔会透露沮丧的情绪——军队的日程安排充满不确定性，很难找到时间回家探亲。他很会开玩笑，也会因为不得不跟家里要钱（买内衣之类的小物件，还有他借给另一个新兵15美元）而感到愧疚。大多数时候，他都在思考自己的人生。他写道，军队生活很艰难，但他只想着如何让自己成长，如何变得更好。他对在军中接触到的新世界感到惊叹，见到了来自各地的年轻人，有穷人、富人，还有不同肤色的人。我爸还曾和来自南方的同僚争论美国南北战争的议题。