TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NORTH ARKANSAS STAR AND CARROLL PROGRESS NOVEMBER 8, P. 1
Dear Aunt and Uncle:
I am sending you this epistle to let you know that I have landed in France in tip-top shape. I don’t believe that things here are what they seem to be. We had a nice voyage except the heavy seas two days. Some of the boys were sea sick but I was not effected in the least. I am in school again just as I was in camp Beauregard and I weigh 160 pounds. That’s more than I have weighed for six years.
There are lots of small towns in this country and it is thickly settled. We are located near a village and a nice park. Clay Combs and I took a long walk through it today. Four white deer attracted our attention more than anything else. All the signal boys that were together in camp are together here. Hugh Clark is our cook. I saw one of the Stamps boys yesterday, he is about three miles from me. Bill Hailey said that he just about as soon be back on Dry Fork fishing as not. Auntie write me all the news on Dry Fork and Berryville as soon as you can. You know anything is news to the boys. Tell me all of the boys that are drafted. How is school at Bohannan and Snow? I received a letter from Mama and Fern yesterday and one from Mr. and Mrs. Hester today. Mr. Hester said uncle Lou had been having a swell time with a bee sting. When you see Mr. Hester tell him I have not seen Forrest yet but heard from him yesterday. He is at Vignoux near Verzon, and he is getting along fine. I think this war will close before long, probably by Xmas but I am here to do my bit and stay to see the Hun wiped off the map and we’ll do that. The French people treat the American soldier as nice as they possibly can. Especially just after a big drive, they can’t hardly express their appreciation to us like they want to because we don’t know enough French. We received our new Chaplin this morning and he delivered to us a splendid sermon and had a conversation in the billets, a new name the French gave to our barracks. It is the only wooden building that I have seen. The houses here are stone and most of the people are Catholics. Talk about fine churches, they have them here. The ways of the French people are very different from the American people. I saw a man plowing six oxen this morning, the largest one weighing 2000 pounds and all of them snow white. There are lots of vineyards, english walnuts and such things here. Wheat seems to be the principal crop and plenty of grape wine to go along too. You can see a Frenchman going to the field to work and he will have his bottle in his pocket and it won’t be empty either. Uncle Lou you should see their railroads over here, they remind me of the ones the children push around on the floor about Xmas time. The ladies sure know how to use the powder to hide their complexion. Believe me they do “jabber” to the American soldiers.
I guess you are just about getting up now as it is noon here. I saw a chateau yesterday and think it the best kept place I ever saw in my life, and some of the most beautiful scenery. I was also in a church that was 800 years old, a catholic structure, but very nice. Before I came to this place I had the pleasure of visiting an old chateau that was built in the days of Julius Caesar 45 B.C. It had the death chambers and lots of old torture machines. Well auntie, I could write a big book on what I have seen but you know I am not allowed to do so but I will just keep it under my sky-piece until I get back to the dear old U.S.A. With love,
Your Nephew
DELBERT PAUL COMBS
NOTES: Corp. Delbert Paul Combs was writing to his aunt and uncle. He was born on November 21, 1895 in Marble, Arkansas and died on November 8, 1965 in Benton County, Arkansas. He served in Co. H, 168th Infantry. He was described as being tall and slender with gray eyes and light brown hair. He is buried in the Rogers Cemetery in Rogers, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Dear Aunt and Uncle:
I am sending you this epistle to let you know that I have landed in France in tip-top shape. I don’t believe that things here are what they seem to be. We had a nice voyage except the heavy seas two days. Some of the boys were sea sick but I was not effected in the least. I am in school again just as I was in camp Beauregard and I weigh 160 pounds. That’s more than I have weighed for six years.
There are lots of small towns in this country and it is thickly settled. We are located near a village and a nice park. Clay Combs and I took a long walk through it today. Four white deer attracted our attention more than anything else. All the signal boys that were together in camp are together here. Hugh Clark is our cook. I saw one of the Stamps boys yesterday, he is about three miles from me. Bill Hailey said that he just about as soon be back on Dry Fork fishing as not. Auntie write me all the news on Dry Fork and Berryville as soon as you can. You know anything is news to the boys. Tell me all of the boys that are drafted. How is school at Bohannan and Snow? I received a letter from Mama and Fern yesterday and one from Mr. and Mrs. Hester today. Mr. Hester said uncle Lou had been having a swell time with a bee sting. When you see Mr. Hester tell him I have not seen Forrest yet but heard from him yesterday. He is at Vignoux near Verzon, and he is getting along fine. I think this war will close before long, probably by Xmas but I am here to do my bit and stay to see the Hun wiped off the map and we’ll do that. The French people treat the American soldier as nice as they possibly can. Especially just after a big drive, they can’t hardly express their appreciation to us like they want to because we don’t know enough French. We received our new Chaplin this morning and he delivered to us a splendid sermon and had a conversation in the billets, a new name the French gave to our barracks. It is the only wooden building that I have seen. The houses here are stone and most of the people are Catholics. Talk about fine churches, they have them here. The ways of the French people are very different from the American people. I saw a man plowing six oxen this morning, the largest one weighing 2000 pounds and all of them snow white. There are lots of vineyards, english walnuts and such things here. Wheat seems to be the principal crop and plenty of grape wine to go along too. You can see a Frenchman going to the field to work and he will have his bottle in his pocket and it won’t be empty either. Uncle Lou you should see their railroads over here, they remind me of the ones the children push around on the floor about Xmas time. The ladies sure know how to use the powder to hide their complexion. Believe me they do “jabber” to the American soldiers.
I guess you are just about getting up now as it is noon here. I saw a chateau yesterday and think it the best kept place I ever saw in my life, and some of the most beautiful scenery. I was also in a church that was 800 years old, a catholic structure, but very nice. Before I came to this place I had the pleasure of visiting an old chateau that was built in the days of Julius Caesar 45 B.C. It had the death chambers and lots of old torture machines. Well auntie, I could write a big book on what I have seen but you know I am not allowed to do so but I will just keep it under my sky-piece until I get back to the dear old U.S.A. With love,
Your Nephew
DELBERT PAUL COMBS
NOTES: Corp. Delbert Paul Combs was writing to his aunt and uncle. He was born on November 21, 1895 in Marble, Arkansas and died on November 8, 1965 in Benton County, Arkansas. He served in Co. H, 168th Infantry. He was described as being tall and slender with gray eyes and light brown hair. He is buried in the Rogers Cemetery in Rogers, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT