TRANSCRIBED FROM THE PINE BLUFF DAILY GRAPHIC JUNE 20, 1918 P. 2
The Germans hate the Americans worse than any,
I saw one German that was taken prisoner, and all of his lower body was full of bullets, yet all that he would say was that “I will not give up to you Americans.”
But believe me, when we Americans go in the trenches the Germans know someone is there all right.
I guess the people back there are realizing more and more every day that we are at war now. If you could see some of the sights over here, you surely would open your eyes. A piece of sugar is almost as valuable as a gold mine, and such a thing as a cake or pie is almost out of the question.
Yes, it has been very cold up until the last 12 days. The two months I was in the trenches the weather was very cold. On the front it rained so much. I can’t account for it unless it is the heavy firing all the time. But back here at the hospital everything is so nice. All the trees and fields are green. France is such a beautiful country in the spring.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Abbie Dyer Atkinson of the 49th Company Fifth Regiment, Marine Corps to his sister Mrs. J. T. Palmer. He was born on September 10, 1890 in Star City, Arkansas and died on August 19, 1937 of tuberculosis at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Drew County, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas, Corp Regt. USMC 2 Div.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
The Germans hate the Americans worse than any,
I saw one German that was taken prisoner, and all of his lower body was full of bullets, yet all that he would say was that “I will not give up to you Americans.”
But believe me, when we Americans go in the trenches the Germans know someone is there all right.
I guess the people back there are realizing more and more every day that we are at war now. If you could see some of the sights over here, you surely would open your eyes. A piece of sugar is almost as valuable as a gold mine, and such a thing as a cake or pie is almost out of the question.
Yes, it has been very cold up until the last 12 days. The two months I was in the trenches the weather was very cold. On the front it rained so much. I can’t account for it unless it is the heavy firing all the time. But back here at the hospital everything is so nice. All the trees and fields are green. France is such a beautiful country in the spring.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Abbie Dyer Atkinson of the 49th Company Fifth Regiment, Marine Corps to his sister Mrs. J. T. Palmer. He was born on September 10, 1890 in Star City, Arkansas and died on August 19, 1937 of tuberculosis at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Drew County, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas, Corp Regt. USMC 2 Div.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT