TRANSCRIBED FROM THE WHITE RIVER JOURNAL FEBRUARY 12, 1919 P. 1
Nov. 17, 1918
Somewhere in France,
Mrs. Ida Oliver:
Dear mother:
I will try to write you a few lines. I write you every chance I get, you know we have a poor chance to write.
Mother I have had good luck so far haven’t been sick any yet, and am fine now.
I was over here only two weeks and three days until I was on the front lines and remained there until the 11th, that was some relief to me. Mother, I think God was with me, for there were boys killed on both sides of me. The last nine days of the war we got two meals from the kitchen, you know we eat anything we can get our hands on. We laid in the mud at night and thought that was fine, and waded water when we came to it. We have had some hard days but thank God it is over. There four boys killed about three hours before they quit firing, but they stopped before we did for we wanted to get as many as we could for they would get in trees and hide until we would come upon them and make them throw their hands up.
Mother, I guess you all was proud to hear that the war was over, but the boys on the front were the proudest for we walked all the night before and was wet and cold. We hiked 150 miles and don’t know how much farther to go yet.
Mother I will tell the rest when I get home. I think I will be at home sometime soon; when you hear of the 80th division coming home you may know I am on my way to the U.S.
Mother tell everybody hello for me and give my love to all. Tell sister I got her letter today. I haven’t any more paper so I will close with much love to all.
From your boy,
Homer
NOTES: This letter was written by Homer Oliver.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD
Nov. 17, 1918
Somewhere in France,
Mrs. Ida Oliver:
Dear mother:
I will try to write you a few lines. I write you every chance I get, you know we have a poor chance to write.
Mother I have had good luck so far haven’t been sick any yet, and am fine now.
I was over here only two weeks and three days until I was on the front lines and remained there until the 11th, that was some relief to me. Mother, I think God was with me, for there were boys killed on both sides of me. The last nine days of the war we got two meals from the kitchen, you know we eat anything we can get our hands on. We laid in the mud at night and thought that was fine, and waded water when we came to it. We have had some hard days but thank God it is over. There four boys killed about three hours before they quit firing, but they stopped before we did for we wanted to get as many as we could for they would get in trees and hide until we would come upon them and make them throw their hands up.
Mother, I guess you all was proud to hear that the war was over, but the boys on the front were the proudest for we walked all the night before and was wet and cold. We hiked 150 miles and don’t know how much farther to go yet.
Mother I will tell the rest when I get home. I think I will be at home sometime soon; when you hear of the 80th division coming home you may know I am on my way to the U.S.
Mother tell everybody hello for me and give my love to all. Tell sister I got her letter today. I haven’t any more paper so I will close with much love to all.
From your boy,
Homer
NOTES: This letter was written by Homer Oliver.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD