TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DREW COUNTY ADVANCE APRIL 29, 1919 P. 7
In Active Service With A. E. F.
Coblenz, Germany, April 2, 1919.
Mrs. M. E. Hart.
My dearest mother, I received your most welcome letter this morning. I was indeed glad to hear that all were well. Mother, I can’t imagine why you don’t hear from ____ I have been writing once or twice a week. Mother you asked me to tell you something about this country. If I should tell you just what I think about it, Oh it wouldn’t amount to much anyway. Ha! Ha! But you can sure have a fine time with the Dutch frauleins, but just let them send this army of occupation home, and I can have a much better time with our American girls. I have seen some very fine looking girls here, but they can’t compare with the ones back home. I guess you have heard a lot about how well the Germans treat the boys. They do treat us well, but carry it most too far, and we know that it is not real. When a German “Kid” sees a German they will say, Dutch Soldat nicht gute; American Soldate are gute, and it is the way with everything that is German. But when you go into the French or English occupied territory it is altogether different for I was down in Medisbadent( French territory) and believe me they did not say American Soldat gute—no not hardly, for when I started to speak to a good looking fraulien, she made as though to hit me in the eye, and I at once decided that I did not want to speak to her anyway. Ha! Ha! As to the country, the land appears to be very good, and every foot that it is possible to cultivate is under cultivation. You can stand on the top of one mountain (there are mountains all over Germany) and the sides of all the others look like an old patchwork quilt, with the little farms of the people. The farms are about the size of a garden back home, or a little larger. I think if these people could see some of the large farms back on the States they would go wild over them. Well I suppose you have heard of the famous old town of Bingen, known as Bingen on the Rhine. I passed through day before yesterday, but did not have time to stop and look around very long. The only noticeable thing about it was the old looking buildings, the greater part of which are overgrown with moss.
I must close with much love from
Your affectionate son,
Private Melville D. Hart.
A.P.O. 927, Coblenz, Germany
NOTES: Melville Douglas Hart was born in Wilmar, Arkansas on September 30, 1899 and died on August 1, 1986. He enlisted on April 9, 1917 and was discharged on October 7, 1919. He was a Pvt. in Co. B, 1st Engineers.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
In Active Service With A. E. F.
Coblenz, Germany, April 2, 1919.
Mrs. M. E. Hart.
My dearest mother, I received your most welcome letter this morning. I was indeed glad to hear that all were well. Mother, I can’t imagine why you don’t hear from ____ I have been writing once or twice a week. Mother you asked me to tell you something about this country. If I should tell you just what I think about it, Oh it wouldn’t amount to much anyway. Ha! Ha! But you can sure have a fine time with the Dutch frauleins, but just let them send this army of occupation home, and I can have a much better time with our American girls. I have seen some very fine looking girls here, but they can’t compare with the ones back home. I guess you have heard a lot about how well the Germans treat the boys. They do treat us well, but carry it most too far, and we know that it is not real. When a German “Kid” sees a German they will say, Dutch Soldat nicht gute; American Soldate are gute, and it is the way with everything that is German. But when you go into the French or English occupied territory it is altogether different for I was down in Medisbadent( French territory) and believe me they did not say American Soldat gute—no not hardly, for when I started to speak to a good looking fraulien, she made as though to hit me in the eye, and I at once decided that I did not want to speak to her anyway. Ha! Ha! As to the country, the land appears to be very good, and every foot that it is possible to cultivate is under cultivation. You can stand on the top of one mountain (there are mountains all over Germany) and the sides of all the others look like an old patchwork quilt, with the little farms of the people. The farms are about the size of a garden back home, or a little larger. I think if these people could see some of the large farms back on the States they would go wild over them. Well I suppose you have heard of the famous old town of Bingen, known as Bingen on the Rhine. I passed through day before yesterday, but did not have time to stop and look around very long. The only noticeable thing about it was the old looking buildings, the greater part of which are overgrown with moss.
I must close with much love from
Your affectionate son,
Private Melville D. Hart.
A.P.O. 927, Coblenz, Germany
NOTES: Melville Douglas Hart was born in Wilmar, Arkansas on September 30, 1899 and died on August 1, 1986. He enlisted on April 9, 1917 and was discharged on October 7, 1919. He was a Pvt. in Co. B, 1st Engineers.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS