TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MELBOURNE TIMES JULY 11, 1918 P. 2
Camp Beauregard, La.
Base Hospital, Ward 2.
To My Friends and Readers of the Melbourne Times:
I will attempt to tell you a part of my past 4 months in Uncle Sam's Army.
The 11th of October I was notified to report to Camp Pike. So I began my career in the infantry, Co. L. 346, under command of Capt. Green. Was transferred from there to a machine gun company at Camp Beauregard; was only in the machine gun company a few moments and certainly was a proud guy when I learned I was transferred from there. (I have heard a machine gunners life is about 17 moments, so wouldn't you be happy to think you was out of a place like this?) Well you can't imagine how happy a soldier can be made in only a few moments. I am now in a signal battalion which is an attached branch of the aviation corps, one of the highest branches of the service. We signal boys don't have to drill but about an hour each day, the rest time we are in school. We have several classes or branches of work, such as telephone, semaphone (arm signals), heliograph (flash light signals) wig wag (one large flag), wireless telegraphy. Also have pigeons, but the hardest part of the school is electricity.
I was getting along fairly well until about the 10th of February when my right side began hurting me and on the 12th I was taken to the hospital and operated on for appendicitis, and now on the 27th I am able to be up and write these few lines. When I arrived at the hospital I found Will Patterson. Will was cutting some wood and missed the wood, the ax stopping in his big toe after cutting off two other toes. He is getting along fine.
Yours truly,
Homer Campbell
NOTES: Albert Homer Campbell was born in Zion, Arkansas on October 23, 1891 and died on July 15, 1957. He is buried in the Campbell Cemetery in Zion (Izard County).
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Camp Beauregard, La.
Base Hospital, Ward 2.
To My Friends and Readers of the Melbourne Times:
I will attempt to tell you a part of my past 4 months in Uncle Sam's Army.
The 11th of October I was notified to report to Camp Pike. So I began my career in the infantry, Co. L. 346, under command of Capt. Green. Was transferred from there to a machine gun company at Camp Beauregard; was only in the machine gun company a few moments and certainly was a proud guy when I learned I was transferred from there. (I have heard a machine gunners life is about 17 moments, so wouldn't you be happy to think you was out of a place like this?) Well you can't imagine how happy a soldier can be made in only a few moments. I am now in a signal battalion which is an attached branch of the aviation corps, one of the highest branches of the service. We signal boys don't have to drill but about an hour each day, the rest time we are in school. We have several classes or branches of work, such as telephone, semaphone (arm signals), heliograph (flash light signals) wig wag (one large flag), wireless telegraphy. Also have pigeons, but the hardest part of the school is electricity.
I was getting along fairly well until about the 10th of February when my right side began hurting me and on the 12th I was taken to the hospital and operated on for appendicitis, and now on the 27th I am able to be up and write these few lines. When I arrived at the hospital I found Will Patterson. Will was cutting some wood and missed the wood, the ax stopping in his big toe after cutting off two other toes. He is getting along fine.
Yours truly,
Homer Campbell
NOTES: Albert Homer Campbell was born in Zion, Arkansas on October 23, 1891 and died on July 15, 1957. He is buried in the Campbell Cemetery in Zion (Izard County).
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD