TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NEWPORT DAILY INDEPENDENT AUGUST 23, 1918 P. 1
On Active Service in France,
July 31, 1918
Dear Father:
It has been quite a while since I last wrote to you. I was wounded in the leg at Chateau-Thierry July 19, on the Paris and Soissons road. The “Square Heads” finally managed to hit me in the leg and I’ve been having a tough time of it. But don’t worry about my wound, for it is entirely safe and we get the best of treatment and I am on the road to recovery.
I hope to be back at them in a few days and some brown-hide is going to pay for every drop of blood I have lost---I mean for every bullet in my gun to count from now on, and I hope to be out again soon.
I was assigned to No-Man’s Land (or Dead-Man’s Post) one night and next morning I brought in a pistol, a watch and 3 pairs of field glasses. I think I was pretty lucky. The captain said he’d always bet on the Yankee kids doing their part. What do you all think of the way us Yanks are doing? We are doing just as good as the papers say we are.
Well, I must close. Hope to hear from home soon. I am feeling fine today.
Your loving son,
Private Edmund Brock,
American Base Hospital No.8, A.E. France
NOTES: This letter was written by Edmund Jay Brock to his father E. J. Brock who lived near Tuckerman, Arkansas. He was born in Elgin, Arkansas on June 20, 1899 and died in Oklahoma on April 11, 1963. He is buried in the Wilburton City Cemetery in Wilburton, Oklahoma. His military headstone identifies him as being from Arkansas and a Pvt. in Co. M. of the 28th Infantry. He was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his service. He was severely wounded at Chateau Thierry in July 1918. He departed Hoboken, NJ on April 23, 1918 onboard the Mercury. He was serving as Pvt. in Co. #2 Camp beauregard Replacement Draft (April) Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY DEBRA POLSTON
On Active Service in France,
July 31, 1918
Dear Father:
It has been quite a while since I last wrote to you. I was wounded in the leg at Chateau-Thierry July 19, on the Paris and Soissons road. The “Square Heads” finally managed to hit me in the leg and I’ve been having a tough time of it. But don’t worry about my wound, for it is entirely safe and we get the best of treatment and I am on the road to recovery.
I hope to be back at them in a few days and some brown-hide is going to pay for every drop of blood I have lost---I mean for every bullet in my gun to count from now on, and I hope to be out again soon.
I was assigned to No-Man’s Land (or Dead-Man’s Post) one night and next morning I brought in a pistol, a watch and 3 pairs of field glasses. I think I was pretty lucky. The captain said he’d always bet on the Yankee kids doing their part. What do you all think of the way us Yanks are doing? We are doing just as good as the papers say we are.
Well, I must close. Hope to hear from home soon. I am feeling fine today.
Your loving son,
Private Edmund Brock,
American Base Hospital No.8, A.E. France
NOTES: This letter was written by Edmund Jay Brock to his father E. J. Brock who lived near Tuckerman, Arkansas. He was born in Elgin, Arkansas on June 20, 1899 and died in Oklahoma on April 11, 1963. He is buried in the Wilburton City Cemetery in Wilburton, Oklahoma. His military headstone identifies him as being from Arkansas and a Pvt. in Co. M. of the 28th Infantry. He was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his service. He was severely wounded at Chateau Thierry in July 1918. He departed Hoboken, NJ on April 23, 1918 onboard the Mercury. He was serving as Pvt. in Co. #2 Camp beauregard Replacement Draft (April) Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY DEBRA POLSTON