TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BAXTER BULLETIN MAY 30, 1919 P. 1
Dear Folks at Home.
This is such a pleasant like night I will write a few lines. Doubtless this will surprise most all of you, but nevertheless, I will endeavor to write I am just fine. For years and months I haven’t been quite so happy. For here I am somewhere in Sunny France. No doubt all of you by this time have heard of my being over here and of my safe arrival which I am thankful for. I came over on the Great Northern, one of the biggest and finest ships I ever saw. She sailed out from New York–October the 10th at four o’clock in the afternoon and on the ninth of November pulled into a most beautiful French harbor at Brest, France. With the exception of one day and night we had a quite trip, throughout the sea calm and the air just cool enough to be bracing. Not many but what enjoy the trip. Quite a lot of the men got sea sick, but I came through without a quiver. About sunrise the morning we landed we sighted land and everybody felt good. It was not long until an airplane flew out to say hello. Soon the low lying hills of France became misty to us. One of the men had a pair of field glasses and with them we could make out a mediaeval looking French Chateau topping one of the biggest hills. We landed in a very fine harbor and went to shore within a few hours.
After landing we marched through a good sized French town. This was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever witnessed. The streets were very narrow and paved with cobblestone, there being little difference between the streets and side walks. The houses are all of stone. high and narrow, with only a few small windows. The wine joints were plentiful and seemed to be the most business aspect of the town. But the people were most interesting of all to me. Men of military age were very scarce, and the women were in almost all cases dressed in black. But _____ from these things and a restraint which one could sense but hardly locate definitely. France, seems as happy and as smiling as tradition has painted her.
The children tagged along, begging for pennies and cigarettes. They were poorly dressed for the most part with wooden shoes. The wooden shoes, however are worn by nearly all except the upper classes. _____hears a clattering on the street and you do not know without looking whether it is a horse or a person. But the French people are kind to us and treat us nice in every respect and seem to appreciate our being with them in a time of need. They are more than rejoiced that the awful war is finished as they have had about all they could stand. Although we are all glad of its being over and that our prayers have been answered throughout the whole world. We are thankful or should be.
Well this is sure a fine place for in embarkation _____ Most all troops come by this camp. When they start home they always remained in this camp from one to six weeks, getting themselves equipped and ready for the States. When they leave here they take the train and off from it on the boat. I have been here since January and this camp only had a very few barracks and just as far (LINES MISSING) you can see there is nothing but barracks and I have done my part in putting and building them and many other things which has made this camp. But now they say our work is almost through and the question is now we ask, is when can we go home. I have only been over five months today but I long for the States and I truly hope the day will hasten that I am homeward bound. Although we are having a good easy time over here. We work some of course. But each week we have a few spare hours in which we earnestly put them in playing baseball and many other games that are sincerely enjoyed by all, and we have a good vaudeville about three nights every week, and of course the Y.M.C.A. is one the job with the movies and other merriments of the very best. On Christmas the Y. M. C. A. workers on Christmas on Christmas eve put forth every effort to make us feel at home and I will admit that I was surprised how near home like the Y.M.C.A. buildings were. I am quite sure after we are all at our homes again we will recall with pleasure the Christmas eve of 1918 and especially those who made it possible for us to have a good time. But I hope and trust this good year of 1919 that is now passing swiftly by takes back all the men whom the scourge of war has spared safe to their homes and this coming Christmas permit them to kneel again at the home church altar and unite again in worship with the home congregation. We have church every Sunday morning at the regular hour, 9:30 Sunday School, at eleven thirty also services in the afternoon at six thirty, and with pleasure I am glad to inform you all that I have grown fond of going to church. I take great interest in those services, and it has become a real pleasure for me to spent hours at a time reading my testament.
Well the weather has been real fine for the past ten days, but only twelve days ago it come a snow and robed the entire camp in a genuine jacket of white, but I think winter is over. Anyway, the sun shines warm, the birds are singing, trees getting green, and spring is surely beginning to settle upon the fields of this wonderful country.
To the farmers of the community in which I live when at home I send my best regards and wish them much happiness while in the corn fields this summer and the sun shining hot and that every effort you are making with your crops is crowned with the best of success and that your yield is great this fall.
Respectfully yours,
Pvt. W. Bryan Dearmore,
Cook Co. No. 7.
Fwdg Camp, A.E.F.A.P.O. 762
Le Mans France
NOTES: William Bryan Dearmore was born on August 21, 1896 and died on February 13, 1968. He is buried in the Baxter Memorial Gardens in Mountain Home, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas Pfc. serving in 7 Cook Co. ASC in WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY PAYTON DHOOGE, JORDAN HOLLYFIELD, ISAAC WOLTER AND KATHY GRIMM
Dear Folks at Home.
This is such a pleasant like night I will write a few lines. Doubtless this will surprise most all of you, but nevertheless, I will endeavor to write I am just fine. For years and months I haven’t been quite so happy. For here I am somewhere in Sunny France. No doubt all of you by this time have heard of my being over here and of my safe arrival which I am thankful for. I came over on the Great Northern, one of the biggest and finest ships I ever saw. She sailed out from New York–October the 10th at four o’clock in the afternoon and on the ninth of November pulled into a most beautiful French harbor at Brest, France. With the exception of one day and night we had a quite trip, throughout the sea calm and the air just cool enough to be bracing. Not many but what enjoy the trip. Quite a lot of the men got sea sick, but I came through without a quiver. About sunrise the morning we landed we sighted land and everybody felt good. It was not long until an airplane flew out to say hello. Soon the low lying hills of France became misty to us. One of the men had a pair of field glasses and with them we could make out a mediaeval looking French Chateau topping one of the biggest hills. We landed in a very fine harbor and went to shore within a few hours.
After landing we marched through a good sized French town. This was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever witnessed. The streets were very narrow and paved with cobblestone, there being little difference between the streets and side walks. The houses are all of stone. high and narrow, with only a few small windows. The wine joints were plentiful and seemed to be the most business aspect of the town. But the people were most interesting of all to me. Men of military age were very scarce, and the women were in almost all cases dressed in black. But _____ from these things and a restraint which one could sense but hardly locate definitely. France, seems as happy and as smiling as tradition has painted her.
The children tagged along, begging for pennies and cigarettes. They were poorly dressed for the most part with wooden shoes. The wooden shoes, however are worn by nearly all except the upper classes. _____hears a clattering on the street and you do not know without looking whether it is a horse or a person. But the French people are kind to us and treat us nice in every respect and seem to appreciate our being with them in a time of need. They are more than rejoiced that the awful war is finished as they have had about all they could stand. Although we are all glad of its being over and that our prayers have been answered throughout the whole world. We are thankful or should be.
Well this is sure a fine place for in embarkation _____ Most all troops come by this camp. When they start home they always remained in this camp from one to six weeks, getting themselves equipped and ready for the States. When they leave here they take the train and off from it on the boat. I have been here since January and this camp only had a very few barracks and just as far (LINES MISSING) you can see there is nothing but barracks and I have done my part in putting and building them and many other things which has made this camp. But now they say our work is almost through and the question is now we ask, is when can we go home. I have only been over five months today but I long for the States and I truly hope the day will hasten that I am homeward bound. Although we are having a good easy time over here. We work some of course. But each week we have a few spare hours in which we earnestly put them in playing baseball and many other games that are sincerely enjoyed by all, and we have a good vaudeville about three nights every week, and of course the Y.M.C.A. is one the job with the movies and other merriments of the very best. On Christmas the Y. M. C. A. workers on Christmas on Christmas eve put forth every effort to make us feel at home and I will admit that I was surprised how near home like the Y.M.C.A. buildings were. I am quite sure after we are all at our homes again we will recall with pleasure the Christmas eve of 1918 and especially those who made it possible for us to have a good time. But I hope and trust this good year of 1919 that is now passing swiftly by takes back all the men whom the scourge of war has spared safe to their homes and this coming Christmas permit them to kneel again at the home church altar and unite again in worship with the home congregation. We have church every Sunday morning at the regular hour, 9:30 Sunday School, at eleven thirty also services in the afternoon at six thirty, and with pleasure I am glad to inform you all that I have grown fond of going to church. I take great interest in those services, and it has become a real pleasure for me to spent hours at a time reading my testament.
Well the weather has been real fine for the past ten days, but only twelve days ago it come a snow and robed the entire camp in a genuine jacket of white, but I think winter is over. Anyway, the sun shines warm, the birds are singing, trees getting green, and spring is surely beginning to settle upon the fields of this wonderful country.
To the farmers of the community in which I live when at home I send my best regards and wish them much happiness while in the corn fields this summer and the sun shining hot and that every effort you are making with your crops is crowned with the best of success and that your yield is great this fall.
Respectfully yours,
Pvt. W. Bryan Dearmore,
Cook Co. No. 7.
Fwdg Camp, A.E.F.A.P.O. 762
Le Mans France
NOTES: William Bryan Dearmore was born on August 21, 1896 and died on February 13, 1968. He is buried in the Baxter Memorial Gardens in Mountain Home, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas Pfc. serving in 7 Cook Co. ASC in WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY PAYTON DHOOGE, JORDAN HOLLYFIELD, ISAAC WOLTER AND KATHY GRIMM