TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HOME NEWS OCTOBER 11, 1918 P. 3
Camp Kearney, Calif.,
Sept. 28, 1918.
Mrs. W. L. Crail.
McCrory, Ark.
My Dear Mother:
Received your letter of last Monday and will answer it as this afternoon we are on our “our own”. I have not gone to San Diego yet but one of the boys from my battery went and he saw Wade Jeffries but did not tell him I was here as he is in the Naval Training Station in Balboa Park which is in the heart of the city and we are 17 miles from the city.\
Yes, the artillery uses horses and they are all big ones and as wild as can be, the least one will not weigh less than 1500 pounds and there are several which have not benn ridden yet, but I am not getting on a horse for no one and so far I have managed to get out of riding since coming here. Yes, I am still a “wind jammer” am pretty good at itnow. Say before I forget it tell Raney my address for I don’t want to miss a copy of the News.
I am certainly glad to know that George arrived safely over seas and would like to be with him and that wont be very long. I think, but I am afraid when we leave the states that we’ll go to Siberia.
I received the papers you sent to me and when I had finished reading them I went up the Battery street yelling “Arkansas Gazette” and you should have seen the Arkansas boys coming for them as soon as one finishes they are passed from one to another until there is not much reading matter on them when it is all done.
I have solved your puzzle and will send it back to you. It is an elephant. I have not seen much since coming here so can not tell you much as yet, though the climate here is entirely different than at Douglass. The place I mailed your letter (Yuma, Arizona) it was 127 in the shade when we passed through, and here we have a cooler day and at night we get plenty chilly.
Well, it is nearing time for guard-mount and I must close for this time as all buglers in the regiment (12 in number) have to blow 5 marches for the guard as we have no band in our regiment for when the 308th arrived it was made into two regiments the 65th and the 66th got the band.
A battery consists of 207 men but at present we have only 75 men in a battery but there are 5000 recruits here awaiting to be assigned to the different regiments and batteries and we will get 125 of them. It is time for me to go. Will write more next time so Bye-Bye.
With love,
Your son,
Ray K Crail
NOTES: Ray Kenneth Crail was born on November 25, 1893 and died on January 3, 1965. He is buried in the Memphis National Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas private in 13 Co., 162 Depot Bridade.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Camp Kearney, Calif.,
Sept. 28, 1918.
Mrs. W. L. Crail.
McCrory, Ark.
My Dear Mother:
Received your letter of last Monday and will answer it as this afternoon we are on our “our own”. I have not gone to San Diego yet but one of the boys from my battery went and he saw Wade Jeffries but did not tell him I was here as he is in the Naval Training Station in Balboa Park which is in the heart of the city and we are 17 miles from the city.\
Yes, the artillery uses horses and they are all big ones and as wild as can be, the least one will not weigh less than 1500 pounds and there are several which have not benn ridden yet, but I am not getting on a horse for no one and so far I have managed to get out of riding since coming here. Yes, I am still a “wind jammer” am pretty good at itnow. Say before I forget it tell Raney my address for I don’t want to miss a copy of the News.
I am certainly glad to know that George arrived safely over seas and would like to be with him and that wont be very long. I think, but I am afraid when we leave the states that we’ll go to Siberia.
I received the papers you sent to me and when I had finished reading them I went up the Battery street yelling “Arkansas Gazette” and you should have seen the Arkansas boys coming for them as soon as one finishes they are passed from one to another until there is not much reading matter on them when it is all done.
I have solved your puzzle and will send it back to you. It is an elephant. I have not seen much since coming here so can not tell you much as yet, though the climate here is entirely different than at Douglass. The place I mailed your letter (Yuma, Arizona) it was 127 in the shade when we passed through, and here we have a cooler day and at night we get plenty chilly.
Well, it is nearing time for guard-mount and I must close for this time as all buglers in the regiment (12 in number) have to blow 5 marches for the guard as we have no band in our regiment for when the 308th arrived it was made into two regiments the 65th and the 66th got the band.
A battery consists of 207 men but at present we have only 75 men in a battery but there are 5000 recruits here awaiting to be assigned to the different regiments and batteries and we will get 125 of them. It is time for me to go. Will write more next time so Bye-Bye.
With love,
Your son,
Ray K Crail
NOTES: Ray Kenneth Crail was born on November 25, 1893 and died on January 3, 1965. He is buried in the Memphis National Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas private in 13 Co., 162 Depot Bridade.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON