TRANSCRIBED FROM THE WYNNE PROGRESS FEBRUARY 21, 1919 P. 7
Virton, Belgium, Jan. 23, 1919
Dear Mamma:
We had a chicken dinner today, the first chicken I have eaten since I have been in France. We bought it from a French woman and got her to cook it for us. It sure was good. You should have seen the fellow when he went to the French woman’s house to get it. He selves of Y.M.C.A. service this tried to make the old lady understand. What he wanted.
A couple of nights ago a Frenchman’s house caught on fire about midnight. He came to the office to get me to help him put it out. When I got there his old lady hadn’t gotten out of the bed. I ran in the next room. It was blazing pretty high; then went into the room where she was and got her out. She says “Par Compre.” I said “Par Compre’ nothing, you had better get out,” and grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the bed. It sure did tickle me after the thing was all over.
I get along pretty well talking to the Frenchmen—what words I can’t say I motion with my hands for the balance, and manage to make them understand.
This is some country over here. Lots of funny things, at least it seems so funny to us. The trains look so funny. They are about half the size of an American box car. The passenger cars are altogether different from American cars.
At this place I am close to three different countries, Germany, France and Belgium.
Well, I don’t know when I will be home, but guess I will be there some time probably next summer.
Fatten up some chickens, because I want some fried chicken when I get home. Our captain told us that we would probably be over here until July, but I don’t think he knows for sure
NOTES: This letter was incomplete due to the newspaper missing the bottom half of the page. Thomas Olin Flippin was born in Ripley, Tennessee on December 21, 1894 and died in 1975. He is buried in the Augusta Memorial Park in Augusta, Arkansas. He departed for France on August 8, 1918 from Hoboken, NJ onboard the George Washington. He returned from Brest, France on June 17, 1919 onboard the Zeppelin. He served as a Corporal in Co. C., Tenth Field Signal Corps, A.E.F.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Virton, Belgium, Jan. 23, 1919
Dear Mamma:
We had a chicken dinner today, the first chicken I have eaten since I have been in France. We bought it from a French woman and got her to cook it for us. It sure was good. You should have seen the fellow when he went to the French woman’s house to get it. He selves of Y.M.C.A. service this tried to make the old lady understand. What he wanted.
A couple of nights ago a Frenchman’s house caught on fire about midnight. He came to the office to get me to help him put it out. When I got there his old lady hadn’t gotten out of the bed. I ran in the next room. It was blazing pretty high; then went into the room where she was and got her out. She says “Par Compre.” I said “Par Compre’ nothing, you had better get out,” and grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the bed. It sure did tickle me after the thing was all over.
I get along pretty well talking to the Frenchmen—what words I can’t say I motion with my hands for the balance, and manage to make them understand.
This is some country over here. Lots of funny things, at least it seems so funny to us. The trains look so funny. They are about half the size of an American box car. The passenger cars are altogether different from American cars.
At this place I am close to three different countries, Germany, France and Belgium.
Well, I don’t know when I will be home, but guess I will be there some time probably next summer.
Fatten up some chickens, because I want some fried chicken when I get home. Our captain told us that we would probably be over here until July, but I don’t think he knows for sure
NOTES: This letter was incomplete due to the newspaper missing the bottom half of the page. Thomas Olin Flippin was born in Ripley, Tennessee on December 21, 1894 and died in 1975. He is buried in the Augusta Memorial Park in Augusta, Arkansas. He departed for France on August 8, 1918 from Hoboken, NJ onboard the George Washington. He returned from Brest, France on June 17, 1919 onboard the Zeppelin. He served as a Corporal in Co. C., Tenth Field Signal Corps, A.E.F.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON