TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKADELPHIA DAILY NEWS MAY 19, 1919 P. 1
Dear Roy:
How are you and the Daily News? I have been in the notion of writing you a letter for some time but thought I would wait until I had some news for you. Having been sent from Gorgercourt to the G.H.Q. Band at Chaumont, which is general headquarters for the A.E.F. I decided to write and tell you that I was in the best band in the A.E.F. We have some band but not as good as the A.E.F. band that is now in America.
The A.E.F. band in the States (God’s Country) is the pick of the A.E.F. and if you have a chance to do so, be sure to go hear them play.
The band I am with is just about as good as the band in the states and by the time we set sail for home we will be as good as any band anywhere. I am playing snare drum and I suppose I am some kind of drummer now, anyways I should be because I have been playing steady enough for the last three years to be one the best in the business.
How are the boys? I suppose the flu has taken a good many of my friends. Are there very many students in the schools this year? I sure wish I was back in H.B.C playing football and baseball. I think I would like that much better than army life. I have been in France for Nine months and it looks like I am going to have two service strips when I return home.
Say tell somebody in that burg to write to me. It is lonesome over here when you don’t receive all kinds of letters. I think G.H.Q. will break up in June or July. At least that is the way it looks now, but you can’t tell much about this army game.
Well, I could tell you lots about the country for I have been over most of it, but what is the use, I don’t like to talk about France for more than one reason.
In English girl made us a nice little talk yesterday, and if it had not been a woman I don’t think she would have talked as long as she did. She told us how much the British had done to win the war and all of her talk was about England and the English race. We know who won the war so what is the use of talking about it. Give all the boys my best regards and send me a Daily News once in a while, I have to go play for Guardcourt now. So will close with best wishes to you and your paper and regards to all friends. I am.
Your Friend, W. E. Golden
Headquarters Band G. H. Q. Annex Force
A.P.O. 706 Chaumont, France
NOTES: William Earl Golden was born in Gum Springs, Arkansas on December 14, 1890 and died in Texarkana, Texas on October 23, 1959. He is buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He departed Brest, France on July 23, 1919 onboard the Santa Clara. He was serving in the First Army Hdq. Regimental Band Musician 2nd Class.
TRANSCRIBED BY ADIN TYGART
Dear Roy:
How are you and the Daily News? I have been in the notion of writing you a letter for some time but thought I would wait until I had some news for you. Having been sent from Gorgercourt to the G.H.Q. Band at Chaumont, which is general headquarters for the A.E.F. I decided to write and tell you that I was in the best band in the A.E.F. We have some band but not as good as the A.E.F. band that is now in America.
The A.E.F. band in the States (God’s Country) is the pick of the A.E.F. and if you have a chance to do so, be sure to go hear them play.
The band I am with is just about as good as the band in the states and by the time we set sail for home we will be as good as any band anywhere. I am playing snare drum and I suppose I am some kind of drummer now, anyways I should be because I have been playing steady enough for the last three years to be one the best in the business.
How are the boys? I suppose the flu has taken a good many of my friends. Are there very many students in the schools this year? I sure wish I was back in H.B.C playing football and baseball. I think I would like that much better than army life. I have been in France for Nine months and it looks like I am going to have two service strips when I return home.
Say tell somebody in that burg to write to me. It is lonesome over here when you don’t receive all kinds of letters. I think G.H.Q. will break up in June or July. At least that is the way it looks now, but you can’t tell much about this army game.
Well, I could tell you lots about the country for I have been over most of it, but what is the use, I don’t like to talk about France for more than one reason.
In English girl made us a nice little talk yesterday, and if it had not been a woman I don’t think she would have talked as long as she did. She told us how much the British had done to win the war and all of her talk was about England and the English race. We know who won the war so what is the use of talking about it. Give all the boys my best regards and send me a Daily News once in a while, I have to go play for Guardcourt now. So will close with best wishes to you and your paper and regards to all friends. I am.
Your Friend, W. E. Golden
Headquarters Band G. H. Q. Annex Force
A.P.O. 706 Chaumont, France
NOTES: William Earl Golden was born in Gum Springs, Arkansas on December 14, 1890 and died in Texarkana, Texas on October 23, 1959. He is buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He departed Brest, France on July 23, 1919 onboard the Santa Clara. He was serving in the First Army Hdq. Regimental Band Musician 2nd Class.
TRANSCRIBED BY ADIN TYGART