TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS DECEMBER 6, 1918 P. 3
Somewhere in France, Nov. 4, 1918
Dear Sis:
I will take pleasure so early in the morning, 5 o’clock to answer your most kind and welcome letters, received a few days ago, and was glad to hear from you and to hear everybody was well. I am fine and dandy but am just a little sleepy at present for I have been up since midnight. I thought I would try and write a few lines now and finish when I get back to my barracks for I have not your letters with me, therefore I can’t answer the questions. I tell you we sure are having plenty of rain over here. I have never seen it rain so much without resting a little while. One thing I liked about my job yesterday and last night was, I got to be in out of the rain and mud and that counts a whole lot over here. I am still holding my old job as a switch board operator. I like this work fine. Well I guess I will cut this out and finish later.
Wednesday night the 6th. Hello sis, I will try and finish my letter in answer to your dear letter of Sept. 29. I was indeed glad to hear from you. Yes you are right, anything the French say to me, I say “Wee, Wee” that means ‘yes’ in French, and if I don’t understand what they say, I say,” No Compree,” which means I do not understand. So you see I am learning French fast. Well here I am again. I had to quit and cut some wood for my stove for I was about to freeze. I received a letter from Margery Graham today and it was a real interesting one too. She was telling me that Robert got married while he was home on a furlough. I have never met up with any of the boys I know. I visited my old Co. which is Battery A now. I went down the other night and had a real good time with them. I seen the Casper boys, Jesse Evans, the Graham boys and the Gores boys all of Springdale. I suppose most every one near Springdale knows the boys I heave named and probably haven’t heard from them for sometime. They are all well and we had a good time, got a few songs books and sang a few songs but of course there wasn’t much music. To all my friends I say Howdy. Arden Deason, who lives in hollowing distance of me in Lowell, is still in the same company with me. All who know us know we are great chums and when we come back to Lowell we will be the same way. We had to leave one good friend of ours at Beauregard, Raymond Bridwell. Whom most everyone knows well.
I will have to close, with regards and best wishes to all and love to you.
Your loving soldier brother,
Pvt. Ervin Austin
Headquarters Co. F. A. Brigade
American Expeditionary Forces
NOTES: Ervin Franklin Austin was born on May 21, 1895 and died on January 17, 1892. He is buried in the Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He enlisted on April 12, 1917 and was discharged on May 1, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Somewhere in France, Nov. 4, 1918
Dear Sis:
I will take pleasure so early in the morning, 5 o’clock to answer your most kind and welcome letters, received a few days ago, and was glad to hear from you and to hear everybody was well. I am fine and dandy but am just a little sleepy at present for I have been up since midnight. I thought I would try and write a few lines now and finish when I get back to my barracks for I have not your letters with me, therefore I can’t answer the questions. I tell you we sure are having plenty of rain over here. I have never seen it rain so much without resting a little while. One thing I liked about my job yesterday and last night was, I got to be in out of the rain and mud and that counts a whole lot over here. I am still holding my old job as a switch board operator. I like this work fine. Well I guess I will cut this out and finish later.
Wednesday night the 6th. Hello sis, I will try and finish my letter in answer to your dear letter of Sept. 29. I was indeed glad to hear from you. Yes you are right, anything the French say to me, I say “Wee, Wee” that means ‘yes’ in French, and if I don’t understand what they say, I say,” No Compree,” which means I do not understand. So you see I am learning French fast. Well here I am again. I had to quit and cut some wood for my stove for I was about to freeze. I received a letter from Margery Graham today and it was a real interesting one too. She was telling me that Robert got married while he was home on a furlough. I have never met up with any of the boys I know. I visited my old Co. which is Battery A now. I went down the other night and had a real good time with them. I seen the Casper boys, Jesse Evans, the Graham boys and the Gores boys all of Springdale. I suppose most every one near Springdale knows the boys I heave named and probably haven’t heard from them for sometime. They are all well and we had a good time, got a few songs books and sang a few songs but of course there wasn’t much music. To all my friends I say Howdy. Arden Deason, who lives in hollowing distance of me in Lowell, is still in the same company with me. All who know us know we are great chums and when we come back to Lowell we will be the same way. We had to leave one good friend of ours at Beauregard, Raymond Bridwell. Whom most everyone knows well.
I will have to close, with regards and best wishes to all and love to you.
Your loving soldier brother,
Pvt. Ervin Austin
Headquarters Co. F. A. Brigade
American Expeditionary Forces
NOTES: Ervin Franklin Austin was born on May 21, 1895 and died on January 17, 1892. He is buried in the Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He enlisted on April 12, 1917 and was discharged on May 1, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS