TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS MARCH 21, 1919 P. 4
Dear Girlie:
You ask me to tell you about our Christmas tree here at St. Nazaire, France. On Christmas eve night we had a great celebration, a Christmas tree and show for the enlisted men. The show and tree were both great successes. The show was a negro minstrel troop who have a great reputation over here.There were something like 30,000 soldiers present and each one received a present. On Christmas afternoon we had a Christmas tree for the little French orphans of St. Nazaire. There were five hundred of them. The soldiers and officers of the camp took a collection and the chaplain and I bought the presents. We drove forty miles inn a truck to the city of Nauter to do our shopping and believe me shopping for five hundred kids is some job. We bought dolls, dogs, trains, horses, tin soldiers and all kinds of toys. You surely would have enjoyed being here when those kids received the presents. I never saw such a pleasant bunch of children in my life. The pleasure we got out of the celebration was worth a thousand times more than the time and money we put into it. Each of us officers took a child to entertain during the afternoon. I had a little girl about five years of age by the name of Madelaine and believe me she was some beauty. She had long black curls and the prettiest blue eyes. Well if she wasen't so young you surely would have had a good cause to be jealous. Because she was the most lovable little thing in "France."
I am very comfortably settled in my new camp now. We have some of the best cooks in the army. They are old American negroes and they certainly can put out the chow but not like home. Laundry work is awful high. Last week my laundry consisted of eight pieces and the French woman who does our laundry charged $2.00 for it. I am nearly crazy to get home but Uncle Sam doesn't seem to understand does he? They are sending the boys home fast now. Our camp is full all the time and we load them as fast as the boats come in. I certainly hope the good work keeps up and then possibly I can come home in three months. I certainly was unlucky to be detailed on this evacuation job. It rains here all the time and we have to wear hip rubber boots all the time. But everything is as comfortable and pleasant as could be expected. It is just the idea of staying here. I see by the papers that Congress has passed or rather introduced a bill to do away with the service strips for the A.E.F. That is certainly appreciated. It seems the American people have forgotten what the soldiers have done for them over here and introduction of the bill is just like driving a knife in the heart of every man who has served in France.
You spoke of the French women, they are disgusting in my opinion, and anyway dear, I am too busy to give them a thought. I would not give one acre of good old U.S.A. for all of France. Please dear keep writing each day as your letters are all the world to me over here. Be brave and patient and I will be home some day.
Your loving hubbie,
Jack.
1st Lieut. Evacuation Camp No. 2. A.P.O. 761
NOTES: Jack M. Greathouse was writing to his wife Bessie from France. He was born in 1891 and died in 1968. He is buried in the Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAELL HARROD
Dear Girlie:
You ask me to tell you about our Christmas tree here at St. Nazaire, France. On Christmas eve night we had a great celebration, a Christmas tree and show for the enlisted men. The show and tree were both great successes. The show was a negro minstrel troop who have a great reputation over here.There were something like 30,000 soldiers present and each one received a present. On Christmas afternoon we had a Christmas tree for the little French orphans of St. Nazaire. There were five hundred of them. The soldiers and officers of the camp took a collection and the chaplain and I bought the presents. We drove forty miles inn a truck to the city of Nauter to do our shopping and believe me shopping for five hundred kids is some job. We bought dolls, dogs, trains, horses, tin soldiers and all kinds of toys. You surely would have enjoyed being here when those kids received the presents. I never saw such a pleasant bunch of children in my life. The pleasure we got out of the celebration was worth a thousand times more than the time and money we put into it. Each of us officers took a child to entertain during the afternoon. I had a little girl about five years of age by the name of Madelaine and believe me she was some beauty. She had long black curls and the prettiest blue eyes. Well if she wasen't so young you surely would have had a good cause to be jealous. Because she was the most lovable little thing in "France."
I am very comfortably settled in my new camp now. We have some of the best cooks in the army. They are old American negroes and they certainly can put out the chow but not like home. Laundry work is awful high. Last week my laundry consisted of eight pieces and the French woman who does our laundry charged $2.00 for it. I am nearly crazy to get home but Uncle Sam doesn't seem to understand does he? They are sending the boys home fast now. Our camp is full all the time and we load them as fast as the boats come in. I certainly hope the good work keeps up and then possibly I can come home in three months. I certainly was unlucky to be detailed on this evacuation job. It rains here all the time and we have to wear hip rubber boots all the time. But everything is as comfortable and pleasant as could be expected. It is just the idea of staying here. I see by the papers that Congress has passed or rather introduced a bill to do away with the service strips for the A.E.F. That is certainly appreciated. It seems the American people have forgotten what the soldiers have done for them over here and introduction of the bill is just like driving a knife in the heart of every man who has served in France.
You spoke of the French women, they are disgusting in my opinion, and anyway dear, I am too busy to give them a thought. I would not give one acre of good old U.S.A. for all of France. Please dear keep writing each day as your letters are all the world to me over here. Be brave and patient and I will be home some day.
Your loving hubbie,
Jack.
1st Lieut. Evacuation Camp No. 2. A.P.O. 761
NOTES: Jack M. Greathouse was writing to his wife Bessie from France. He was born in 1891 and died in 1968. He is buried in the Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAELL HARROD