TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS FEBRUARY 21, 1919 P. 3
Dear Mother, Sister and All:
I will write you a few lines tonight as I have to wait a few minute for my midnight supper. I am in the best of health, also my mind has been relieved of a big burden, as there is quite a bit of talk going around the camp that we will probably be leaving here in about a month or six weeks of course that don’t mean that we are coming home but we’ll more than likely go to England and stay about one or two months in a hospital there, and I think that would be very nice as we would have an opportunity to see a great deal of Europe than we would otherwise. I prefer to go to England than to go with the army of occupation for it sure is awful cold up there, while it is not hot by any means here, it is not near so cold as it is here. I don’t know how true it is but I have heard quite a few of the officers as well as the enlisted men say that Base Hospital No. 84 was the best hospital in the A.E.F. so that about makes me feel some better to know that I am one of the enlisted men to belong to an organization which is considered the best, however I am ready to start for home at any time, but if I can see England or some more of France it would not be so bad to stay a month or two longer, besides the ocean is pretty rough just now for a fellow to enjoy his trip back home very much.
I have Richard’s picture in my little locket which I have fastened to my identification tag chain and I carry all of them around my neck. I sure would like to be there tonight, I would make the little rascal jump around.
It is 11:30 p.m. here now, and I am going to eat my midnight supper. It is about 6;00 p.m. at home so when I am eating my 11:30 supper you are probably just sitting down to your regular evening meal, so you see we are about six hours ahead of you at home. But it is time only that we over here are ahead of you in anything, for everything else the U.S. is as far ahead of this country as an auto is a mule and speaking of mules that is the only thing they have to work here and they are little burros like the one I used to have.
With love to all,
Fred V. Haxton
NOTES: Fred Vale Haxton was born on February 1, 1891 in Springdale, Arkansas and died in Fayetteville, Arkansas on April 18, 1962. He is buried in the Bluff Cemetery in Springdale. He departed the US on August 18, 1918. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in Base Hospital 84. He departed Bordeaux, France on May 11, 1919 onboard the Otsego. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on May 26, 1919. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in Base Hospital. 84.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Dear Mother, Sister and All:
I will write you a few lines tonight as I have to wait a few minute for my midnight supper. I am in the best of health, also my mind has been relieved of a big burden, as there is quite a bit of talk going around the camp that we will probably be leaving here in about a month or six weeks of course that don’t mean that we are coming home but we’ll more than likely go to England and stay about one or two months in a hospital there, and I think that would be very nice as we would have an opportunity to see a great deal of Europe than we would otherwise. I prefer to go to England than to go with the army of occupation for it sure is awful cold up there, while it is not hot by any means here, it is not near so cold as it is here. I don’t know how true it is but I have heard quite a few of the officers as well as the enlisted men say that Base Hospital No. 84 was the best hospital in the A.E.F. so that about makes me feel some better to know that I am one of the enlisted men to belong to an organization which is considered the best, however I am ready to start for home at any time, but if I can see England or some more of France it would not be so bad to stay a month or two longer, besides the ocean is pretty rough just now for a fellow to enjoy his trip back home very much.
I have Richard’s picture in my little locket which I have fastened to my identification tag chain and I carry all of them around my neck. I sure would like to be there tonight, I would make the little rascal jump around.
It is 11:30 p.m. here now, and I am going to eat my midnight supper. It is about 6;00 p.m. at home so when I am eating my 11:30 supper you are probably just sitting down to your regular evening meal, so you see we are about six hours ahead of you at home. But it is time only that we over here are ahead of you in anything, for everything else the U.S. is as far ahead of this country as an auto is a mule and speaking of mules that is the only thing they have to work here and they are little burros like the one I used to have.
With love to all,
Fred V. Haxton
NOTES: Fred Vale Haxton was born on February 1, 1891 in Springdale, Arkansas and died in Fayetteville, Arkansas on April 18, 1962. He is buried in the Bluff Cemetery in Springdale. He departed the US on August 18, 1918. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in Base Hospital 84. He departed Bordeaux, France on May 11, 1919 onboard the Otsego. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on May 26, 1919. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in Base Hospital. 84.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON