TRANSCRIBED FROM THE POCAHONTAS STAR HERALD FEBRUARY 7, 1919 P. 2
Jan. 7, 1919
To the good people of Randolph county:
I am more than glad to take this opportunity of writing to you. It would be impossible to write each of you, so if the Editor will allow me space in his paper, I will take this method of letting you know how everything is over here.
The first thing that I wish to say is, that we had a good time Christmas day, and some of the boys in my company went deer hunting. The deer are as thick here as the rabbits are at home. We went out walking this morning for an hour and saw five cross the road while we were gone, so you see if some of the hunters in Randolph county were here in Germany, they could have some real sport.
We are in winter quarters in a small town on the Rhine river, and the people treat us with good respect. We have had some awfully hard work since Nov. 11th. We hiked something like four hundred miles and believe me, we were certainly getting tired when we finished our journey. It is much better doing this than to be crowding in shell holes, and dodging bullets and shrapnel.
We had just been off the front for a few days rest, when there came orders to go back to the lines. So we began getting ready to start and others came for us not to go, for the firing had ceased and the war was over. You can imagine how proud we were, for we had the experience of being on the firing line and found out it was not a healthy place.
I am proud to say I am receiving the Star Herald, and the best of all, I received one on Christmas morning. I sure thought it was a Christmas present.
Elsie Anderson and I are together and both of us being from the same town, makes it much better for us to enjoy ourselves. If you want to know anything about our experience on the front, just ask him when he comes home about the night the shells knocked the walls and roof of an old building on us, and about the time a shell cut the top out of a bush over his head. It would be a great sight for you to see the old battlefields like I have seen on several different fronts.
I have quite a lot of trouble learning how to talk over here. I am sure it would almost be like some minstrel show to you, if you could hear me trying to talk German.
I was very much surprised the other day in meeting one of our old home boys. It was Mitchell Holland, and I had not seen him for eight years, but knew him at first sight.
Well, I will close for this time saying that I am glad to know you people have done your part in helping to win the war.
From a foreign soldier friend,
Pvt. Willard E. Bryan,
Co. A. 8th M. G. Bn. A. E. F.
France
NOTES: Willard Eugene Bryan was born on May 29, 1896 at Dalton, Arkansas and died on February 6, 1975 at St. Louis, Missouri. He is buried in the Randolph Memorial Gardens in Pocahontas, Arkansas. He departed from Brest, France on August 12, 1919 and arrived in Brooklyn, NY on August 25, 1919. He traveled onboard the Pretoria. He was serving in Co. A, 8th Machine Gun Battalion.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Jan. 7, 1919
To the good people of Randolph county:
I am more than glad to take this opportunity of writing to you. It would be impossible to write each of you, so if the Editor will allow me space in his paper, I will take this method of letting you know how everything is over here.
The first thing that I wish to say is, that we had a good time Christmas day, and some of the boys in my company went deer hunting. The deer are as thick here as the rabbits are at home. We went out walking this morning for an hour and saw five cross the road while we were gone, so you see if some of the hunters in Randolph county were here in Germany, they could have some real sport.
We are in winter quarters in a small town on the Rhine river, and the people treat us with good respect. We have had some awfully hard work since Nov. 11th. We hiked something like four hundred miles and believe me, we were certainly getting tired when we finished our journey. It is much better doing this than to be crowding in shell holes, and dodging bullets and shrapnel.
We had just been off the front for a few days rest, when there came orders to go back to the lines. So we began getting ready to start and others came for us not to go, for the firing had ceased and the war was over. You can imagine how proud we were, for we had the experience of being on the firing line and found out it was not a healthy place.
I am proud to say I am receiving the Star Herald, and the best of all, I received one on Christmas morning. I sure thought it was a Christmas present.
Elsie Anderson and I are together and both of us being from the same town, makes it much better for us to enjoy ourselves. If you want to know anything about our experience on the front, just ask him when he comes home about the night the shells knocked the walls and roof of an old building on us, and about the time a shell cut the top out of a bush over his head. It would be a great sight for you to see the old battlefields like I have seen on several different fronts.
I have quite a lot of trouble learning how to talk over here. I am sure it would almost be like some minstrel show to you, if you could hear me trying to talk German.
I was very much surprised the other day in meeting one of our old home boys. It was Mitchell Holland, and I had not seen him for eight years, but knew him at first sight.
Well, I will close for this time saying that I am glad to know you people have done your part in helping to win the war.
From a foreign soldier friend,
Pvt. Willard E. Bryan,
Co. A. 8th M. G. Bn. A. E. F.
France
NOTES: Willard Eugene Bryan was born on May 29, 1896 at Dalton, Arkansas and died on February 6, 1975 at St. Louis, Missouri. He is buried in the Randolph Memorial Gardens in Pocahontas, Arkansas. He departed from Brest, France on August 12, 1919 and arrived in Brooklyn, NY on August 25, 1919. He traveled onboard the Pretoria. He was serving in Co. A, 8th Machine Gun Battalion.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS