TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ROGERS DEMOCRAT JUNE 19, 1919 P. 1
France
April 7, 1919:
Dear Father:
I wil drop you a few lines to let you know that I am o.k. and truly hope it will find you all well and enjoying life. I wrote to you sometime ago and didn't get any answer.
I am still on the job. Our company has been in this camp since the 2nd day of January and have been building it up. The camp is a nice large one and can hold about three divisions of troops. It has three Y.M.C.A.'s, two K.C. buildings. We have bookoo eats; today for dinner we had roast beef, carrots, white bread and butter and coffee, so you see we are not starving. But one thing strange for this country has happened. It hasn't rained for four days. It usually rains five days out of every week.
This country has some good land in it. We are stationed near Lemans, France. It is a large city but the buildings seem so odd. Everyone of them are made of stone. Not a frame building in town, except the American Red Cross. The streets are about 18 feet wide, the side walk about 2 1/2 feet wide.
Well, Dad, you may have this put in the Rogers paper for the benefit of the parents of those boys names that I'll mention. I try to keep track of all of the Arkansas boys that I know in Rogers: Elmer Heins, Oscar Hall, Damon Hatfield, John Comstock. One I want to mention from Cave Springs and an old friend of mine. He has been in my company ever since I came into the service. His name is Jos. R. Fair, a good doughboy. He and I have had some good times and some bad ones, too and we can tell all about our hardships when we get home.
Oh, I would love to lay my mug on another good old soft feather pillow once more and to feel what it is to sleep on a real bed once more.
Another thing I want to say is that when a fellow says that the French girls are better looking than those of the states, he either has bad eyes or lacks a little under his hat.
All of the small kids smoke cigarettes and it looks bad. Do not think that I am homesick, but I sure would like to be at home but I want to do my bit while I am here so the people can't call me a slacker when I come face to face with them.
With love to all,
Sol
NOTES: Sol Evans was writing to his father Jerry Evans. He was born in Sedalia, Arkansas on April 7, 1894.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
France
April 7, 1919:
Dear Father:
I wil drop you a few lines to let you know that I am o.k. and truly hope it will find you all well and enjoying life. I wrote to you sometime ago and didn't get any answer.
I am still on the job. Our company has been in this camp since the 2nd day of January and have been building it up. The camp is a nice large one and can hold about three divisions of troops. It has three Y.M.C.A.'s, two K.C. buildings. We have bookoo eats; today for dinner we had roast beef, carrots, white bread and butter and coffee, so you see we are not starving. But one thing strange for this country has happened. It hasn't rained for four days. It usually rains five days out of every week.
This country has some good land in it. We are stationed near Lemans, France. It is a large city but the buildings seem so odd. Everyone of them are made of stone. Not a frame building in town, except the American Red Cross. The streets are about 18 feet wide, the side walk about 2 1/2 feet wide.
Well, Dad, you may have this put in the Rogers paper for the benefit of the parents of those boys names that I'll mention. I try to keep track of all of the Arkansas boys that I know in Rogers: Elmer Heins, Oscar Hall, Damon Hatfield, John Comstock. One I want to mention from Cave Springs and an old friend of mine. He has been in my company ever since I came into the service. His name is Jos. R. Fair, a good doughboy. He and I have had some good times and some bad ones, too and we can tell all about our hardships when we get home.
Oh, I would love to lay my mug on another good old soft feather pillow once more and to feel what it is to sleep on a real bed once more.
Another thing I want to say is that when a fellow says that the French girls are better looking than those of the states, he either has bad eyes or lacks a little under his hat.
All of the small kids smoke cigarettes and it looks bad. Do not think that I am homesick, but I sure would like to be at home but I want to do my bit while I am here so the people can't call me a slacker when I come face to face with them.
With love to all,
Sol
NOTES: Sol Evans was writing to his father Jerry Evans. He was born in Sedalia, Arkansas on April 7, 1894.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD