TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DREW COUNTY ADVANCE MARCH 25, 1919 P. 7
January 23rd, 1919.
Miss Adabert Walters,
Monticello, Ark.
My Dearest Girlie:
Today I received your letter of December 6th, 1918, and was very glad that my letters reached you so that you might be reminded that I am still in the in the land of the living. You will be surprised to know that I am in Germany and having the best time that I have ever had since I have been in the U. S. army and the people over here sure are good to us but they have it to do for if they get too raw they will be put out of the town and will not be left a thing, so if we see a place that we want all that we have to do is to tell them to get out so that we might move in and they are doing all that they can for us and that is great for we have a nice room to stay in and all the fire that we would ever want and a great big bed to sleep in and that is a thing that the boy in the States does not have and I have the best room that could be found in this town for I can talk a little of this stuff and I am getting pretty and I have the prettiest Dutch girl that I ever saw anywhere and she thinks that I am all of it for I do not fuss at her and hardly ever get mad when she says something that I do not understand and I take her some things to eat that they have not had in four or five years and soap is worth a dollar a bar and she needs it very badly for she is as dirty as I ever saw for it is more like sleet the dirt off you would not want a better looking girl in the world.
It is snowing and has been for two days and it is the funniest snow that I ever saw for it is more like sleat than snow to me. The ground is almost covered and I sure will be glad when it is so for I can go out for a rabbit hunt then and see how the rabbits taste over here in Germany for I had some rabbit in France and I did not like it as well as I did the rabbit in America.
I have been all over the front line since I left France and I must say that it is in a very bad fix and that they did do some mighty hard fighting so much more than the most of us over here ever dreamed of and I saw some mighty badly shot up towns that were in the line of battle for the last few years and there was not a house no where but what was shot all to pieces and not a human around but the soldiers that were occupying the territory and they are staying in what ever they could find that is good enough to keep the rain out and keep warm.
My! My! but I sure wish that I could be there to help you all eat up all of that good stuff that you have to eat for I have not had a thing to eat that tasted right to me in so long that I would not stop eating as long as I could see sweet potatoes and good molasses and other things that you all have back home. Well I must not say too much for fear that you will not invite me to come down to see you all when I come home so please write as often as you can and give all of them that I know my best regards and when you see grandpa tell him that I say Hello and that I send him my best love and wishes.
Cook, J. C. Bradbury.
Hdq. Amb. Sec., 7th Corp. Sanitary Train, A. P. O. 792, A. E. F.
NOTES: Joseph Charles Bradbury was born on December 2, 1893 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and died on January 12, 1963. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum in Alexander, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas soldier serving as a Cook in the Hdq. Det. Section of the 39th Division. He enlisted on September 19, 1917 and was discharged on July 9. 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
January 23rd, 1919.
Miss Adabert Walters,
Monticello, Ark.
My Dearest Girlie:
Today I received your letter of December 6th, 1918, and was very glad that my letters reached you so that you might be reminded that I am still in the in the land of the living. You will be surprised to know that I am in Germany and having the best time that I have ever had since I have been in the U. S. army and the people over here sure are good to us but they have it to do for if they get too raw they will be put out of the town and will not be left a thing, so if we see a place that we want all that we have to do is to tell them to get out so that we might move in and they are doing all that they can for us and that is great for we have a nice room to stay in and all the fire that we would ever want and a great big bed to sleep in and that is a thing that the boy in the States does not have and I have the best room that could be found in this town for I can talk a little of this stuff and I am getting pretty and I have the prettiest Dutch girl that I ever saw anywhere and she thinks that I am all of it for I do not fuss at her and hardly ever get mad when she says something that I do not understand and I take her some things to eat that they have not had in four or five years and soap is worth a dollar a bar and she needs it very badly for she is as dirty as I ever saw for it is more like sleet the dirt off you would not want a better looking girl in the world.
It is snowing and has been for two days and it is the funniest snow that I ever saw for it is more like sleat than snow to me. The ground is almost covered and I sure will be glad when it is so for I can go out for a rabbit hunt then and see how the rabbits taste over here in Germany for I had some rabbit in France and I did not like it as well as I did the rabbit in America.
I have been all over the front line since I left France and I must say that it is in a very bad fix and that they did do some mighty hard fighting so much more than the most of us over here ever dreamed of and I saw some mighty badly shot up towns that were in the line of battle for the last few years and there was not a house no where but what was shot all to pieces and not a human around but the soldiers that were occupying the territory and they are staying in what ever they could find that is good enough to keep the rain out and keep warm.
My! My! but I sure wish that I could be there to help you all eat up all of that good stuff that you have to eat for I have not had a thing to eat that tasted right to me in so long that I would not stop eating as long as I could see sweet potatoes and good molasses and other things that you all have back home. Well I must not say too much for fear that you will not invite me to come down to see you all when I come home so please write as often as you can and give all of them that I know my best regards and when you see grandpa tell him that I say Hello and that I send him my best love and wishes.
Cook, J. C. Bradbury.
Hdq. Amb. Sec., 7th Corp. Sanitary Train, A. P. O. 792, A. E. F.
NOTES: Joseph Charles Bradbury was born on December 2, 1893 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and died on January 12, 1963. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum in Alexander, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas soldier serving as a Cook in the Hdq. Det. Section of the 39th Division. He enlisted on September 19, 1917 and was discharged on July 9. 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS