TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DEWITT ENTERPRISE OCTOBER 24, 1918 P. 4
Editor DeWitt Enterprise:
Dear Sir:
I am taking great pleasure in writing you a letter, as I feel it is my duty to let you know how I have appreciated the DeWitt Enterprise I have missed only one copy since I have been in the camp. I sure do appreciate reading it, as it makes me feel better to be able to get my home paper, because there is nothing like a good newspaper to get the good news from home, and I want to thank you for sending it to me regularly, as camp life is “blue sometimes and getting the news makes me feel more at home.
I am now located at Camp Sevier, Greenville, S.C., which is a nice place.
I am about fifteen miles from the North Carolina line, and it is right at the edge of the Blue Ridge mountains, so it is a pretty country and a healthy place. I have been with men from different parts of the country, but I find so far that the people of the East and South are more friendly than those of the North, but there are more uneducated people in the East than anywhere else. But we are all here together to do our duty, so we are all like brothers. It is strange to see so many men together and everybody get along so nicely. Whenever a new man comes in they make fun at him for a few days, but it doesn’t take long before he is in the bunch, too, so we all get along fine.
There is only one thing I don’t like about the army now, and that is that we are under quarantine for sixty days for Spanish influenza, which is very severe at this camp. All the vacant buildings and the hospital is full of patients, so that makes it harder on us. But it is not so bad now as it was, and I hope it won’t get any worse. I have been examined for overseas service and I thought sure I would have to go, but it looks like Uncle Sam wants me to stay on this side. I thought for a while that I would go with the Twentieh Division, but I guess I will have to stay on this side for some time yet, as the detachment I am in is not supposed to go across. But I am ready and willing to go any time they call on me.
The army life is not like someone represented to me before I came into it. We do have a hard time sometimes, but so far we don’t know what a meatless day is. Sometimes we don’t get any, but it is because they can’t get it as they want to. We get Wednesday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday holiday, so I think that is good enough. Of course, there are always some who are not satisfied with army life, but it is mostly a matter with themselves. I have been in the army for over a year now and I have always been able to get along with everybody. I think a man ought to be proud of the fact that he is in the army and doing his duty. It is a long way from being free, but I am glad of one thing, and that is that we are going to “get” those Huns before long and go back to our homes with Old Glory floating over us. I didn’t realize what our flag meant until I came into the army, but I do know now, and there are many others like me.
I am proud of the fact that those at home are doing just as much for their country as we are in the army. I know the people in the East are doing their part toward the Liberty Loan movement.
Well, I want to thank you again for the DeWitt Enterprise and hope to get it as regularly as usual.
J. A. Girerd
Co. C, Second Prov. Regt., 156th Depot Brigade, Camp Sevier, S. C.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY CALEIGH PICKARD
Editor DeWitt Enterprise:
Dear Sir:
I am taking great pleasure in writing you a letter, as I feel it is my duty to let you know how I have appreciated the DeWitt Enterprise I have missed only one copy since I have been in the camp. I sure do appreciate reading it, as it makes me feel better to be able to get my home paper, because there is nothing like a good newspaper to get the good news from home, and I want to thank you for sending it to me regularly, as camp life is “blue sometimes and getting the news makes me feel more at home.
I am now located at Camp Sevier, Greenville, S.C., which is a nice place.
I am about fifteen miles from the North Carolina line, and it is right at the edge of the Blue Ridge mountains, so it is a pretty country and a healthy place. I have been with men from different parts of the country, but I find so far that the people of the East and South are more friendly than those of the North, but there are more uneducated people in the East than anywhere else. But we are all here together to do our duty, so we are all like brothers. It is strange to see so many men together and everybody get along so nicely. Whenever a new man comes in they make fun at him for a few days, but it doesn’t take long before he is in the bunch, too, so we all get along fine.
There is only one thing I don’t like about the army now, and that is that we are under quarantine for sixty days for Spanish influenza, which is very severe at this camp. All the vacant buildings and the hospital is full of patients, so that makes it harder on us. But it is not so bad now as it was, and I hope it won’t get any worse. I have been examined for overseas service and I thought sure I would have to go, but it looks like Uncle Sam wants me to stay on this side. I thought for a while that I would go with the Twentieh Division, but I guess I will have to stay on this side for some time yet, as the detachment I am in is not supposed to go across. But I am ready and willing to go any time they call on me.
The army life is not like someone represented to me before I came into it. We do have a hard time sometimes, but so far we don’t know what a meatless day is. Sometimes we don’t get any, but it is because they can’t get it as they want to. We get Wednesday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday holiday, so I think that is good enough. Of course, there are always some who are not satisfied with army life, but it is mostly a matter with themselves. I have been in the army for over a year now and I have always been able to get along with everybody. I think a man ought to be proud of the fact that he is in the army and doing his duty. It is a long way from being free, but I am glad of one thing, and that is that we are going to “get” those Huns before long and go back to our homes with Old Glory floating over us. I didn’t realize what our flag meant until I came into the army, but I do know now, and there are many others like me.
I am proud of the fact that those at home are doing just as much for their country as we are in the army. I know the people in the East are doing their part toward the Liberty Loan movement.
Well, I want to thank you again for the DeWitt Enterprise and hope to get it as regularly as usual.
J. A. Girerd
Co. C, Second Prov. Regt., 156th Depot Brigade, Camp Sevier, S. C.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY CALEIGH PICKARD