TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ROGERS DEMOCRAT SEPTEMBER 5, 1918 P. 2
Dear Mother:
Just a line to let you know that all is well over here and that the war is over--France. (Joke).
I haven’t received any mail from you since joining the American army. I guess my mail has been sent to the Canadians and has gone astray. I often wonder if you are receiving my letters and if you were greatly surprised in my move in transferring to the U.S. forces. But it wasn’t unexpected it and vainly attempting to make it for over a year.
I have been in the U.S. services for over two months now and from what I have seen I am sure that every American has a right to be proud of his country. Kaiser Bill is the biggest fool in the world today.
Now, mother, there are three things I want you to send me, three little articles that represent what I cherish as sacred. I want a small pocket size khaki New Testament, a small photo of you, small enough to go inside the Bible and a small American flag. Get a little silk flag about three and a half by six inches. Fold it around the photo and insert both between the leaves of the Bible. Wrap them both up and send them over the sea for these are the things that are dearest to me. These are all that I need as we are issued plenty of tobacco every ten days and we can get good American candy in abundance at the commissary or the Y.M.C.A.
As I mentioned in one of my previous letters we are not allowed to tell you what we are doing. About all I can say is that I am in the air service and having a good time.
LEN.
NOTES: This letter was written by Leonard Preston Dwyer to his mother Mrs. A. E. Bates of Peoria, Illinois. Dwyer was a former resident of Rogers, Arkansas when he joined the Canadian Military. He served a year with a Canadian band battalion before being transferred to American aviation section signal corps. He was born on November 30, 1895 in Peoria and died on August 13, 1959 in Nueces County, Texas. he is buried in the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. His military headstone identifies him as a Texas MM in World War I, World War II and Korea.
TRANSCRIBED BY MCKENZIE MOORE
Dear Mother:
Just a line to let you know that all is well over here and that the war is over--France. (Joke).
I haven’t received any mail from you since joining the American army. I guess my mail has been sent to the Canadians and has gone astray. I often wonder if you are receiving my letters and if you were greatly surprised in my move in transferring to the U.S. forces. But it wasn’t unexpected it and vainly attempting to make it for over a year.
I have been in the U.S. services for over two months now and from what I have seen I am sure that every American has a right to be proud of his country. Kaiser Bill is the biggest fool in the world today.
Now, mother, there are three things I want you to send me, three little articles that represent what I cherish as sacred. I want a small pocket size khaki New Testament, a small photo of you, small enough to go inside the Bible and a small American flag. Get a little silk flag about three and a half by six inches. Fold it around the photo and insert both between the leaves of the Bible. Wrap them both up and send them over the sea for these are the things that are dearest to me. These are all that I need as we are issued plenty of tobacco every ten days and we can get good American candy in abundance at the commissary or the Y.M.C.A.
As I mentioned in one of my previous letters we are not allowed to tell you what we are doing. About all I can say is that I am in the air service and having a good time.
LEN.
NOTES: This letter was written by Leonard Preston Dwyer to his mother Mrs. A. E. Bates of Peoria, Illinois. Dwyer was a former resident of Rogers, Arkansas when he joined the Canadian Military. He served a year with a Canadian band battalion before being transferred to American aviation section signal corps. He was born on November 30, 1895 in Peoria and died on August 13, 1959 in Nueces County, Texas. he is buried in the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. His military headstone identifies him as a Texas MM in World War I, World War II and Korea.
TRANSCRIBED BY MCKENZIE MOORE