TRANSCRIBED FROM THE POCAHONTAS STAR HERALD JULY 26, 1918 P. 2
Douglas, Ariz, July 1, 1918.
Dear Old Randolph County People:
Just a few lines from the boy on the border, that is if this misses the waste basket of the “Old Reliable. I am still in Douglas and it seems they wont send us across at all. We are all tired of Arizona and sure are crazy to get “Over There.” I get the Old Reliable every week and it’s just like getting a letter from home. I noticed through its columns that several old Randolph boys are already at the front. In fact my brother has beaten me there but maybe some day we shall take our part of the world’s battle. I am still cooking and have been promoted to first and I like my job fine, but ‘tis real warm cooking for 125 men these hot days. Arizona is sure a good study for real thinkers and I have studied hard and I haven’t figured out a single thing about this country that would interest Randolph County people. We have been having some hard drills and we are kept busy but we are always cheered up with rumors of going across. I’d love to be back in the State of Arkansas again but it will be sometime before I’ll have that opportunity again but you can bet that there’s no place like Pocahontas for me.
It never rains here and sand and plains is all you can see. Great Big Old Ugly Cactus and Old Brown Sage Brush is another nice feature of this State. Not even a shade tree in miles of you. So you see tis hard to love this country. Well if this misses the waste basket, I’d come again.
Yours in khaki,
Private Stanley Bode,
Troop B 1st. Cav.
NOTES: Stanley Ferdinand Body was born on October 19, 1895 and died in 1980. He is buried in the Ft. Myers Memorial Cemetery in Ft. Meyers, Florida.
TRANSCRIBED BY LANDON TEER
Douglas, Ariz, July 1, 1918.
Dear Old Randolph County People:
Just a few lines from the boy on the border, that is if this misses the waste basket of the “Old Reliable. I am still in Douglas and it seems they wont send us across at all. We are all tired of Arizona and sure are crazy to get “Over There.” I get the Old Reliable every week and it’s just like getting a letter from home. I noticed through its columns that several old Randolph boys are already at the front. In fact my brother has beaten me there but maybe some day we shall take our part of the world’s battle. I am still cooking and have been promoted to first and I like my job fine, but ‘tis real warm cooking for 125 men these hot days. Arizona is sure a good study for real thinkers and I have studied hard and I haven’t figured out a single thing about this country that would interest Randolph County people. We have been having some hard drills and we are kept busy but we are always cheered up with rumors of going across. I’d love to be back in the State of Arkansas again but it will be sometime before I’ll have that opportunity again but you can bet that there’s no place like Pocahontas for me.
It never rains here and sand and plains is all you can see. Great Big Old Ugly Cactus and Old Brown Sage Brush is another nice feature of this State. Not even a shade tree in miles of you. So you see tis hard to love this country. Well if this misses the waste basket, I’d come again.
Yours in khaki,
Private Stanley Bode,
Troop B 1st. Cav.
NOTES: Stanley Ferdinand Body was born on October 19, 1895 and died in 1980. He is buried in the Ft. Myers Memorial Cemetery in Ft. Meyers, Florida.
TRANSCRIBED BY LANDON TEER