TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LITTLE RIVER NEWS AUGUST 14, 1918 P. 2
Somewhere in France,
July 11.
Mrs. Mollie Foulkes,
Dear Aunt and Uncle:
I will answer your letter which I received yesterday I was surprised, but it sure was a glad surprise. I was sure glad to hear from you, and know that you were all well. This leaves me fine and dandy, and in the best of health, and enjoying soldier life better every day.
Gee, but I sure would like to be there and get some of those good eats. If I was to sit down to a table full of good eats, like you said you had for dinner, I would die of fright. But bet your life I would die with a full stomach and die happy. When you are eating all those good eats, you want to think of me and eat a lot for me--and that huckleberry pie, you can eat three or four of those for me if you want to. Talking about all those good eats makes me homesick. It makes me think of what a good time I will have when I get out of the army, which will be soon, I believe, for we are after the kaiser and we are going to get him.
You said bed bugs were bad there. They are nothing compared with 'cooties' on the front line trenches. You go up there and stay about two weeks and you will scratch yourself to death nearly. Having cooties on you is no fun, believe me. I have moved several times since you last heard from me
We were stationed at Fort Clark in Texas. We were in training there for 5 or 8 months, then we came across the pond to France. We sure had a nice trip all the way from Fort Clark over here. France sure is a pretty country, it has some of the prettiest scenery I ever saw. They have lots of parks, and the people take pride in keeping up their parks and forests. There are lots of trees planted here, they sure look pretty. At every house there is a garden, half of which is planted in flowers. I don't know what the French people would do if it wasn't for their flowers. They sure have some queer buildings here, all of the houses are built of rock, lime and cement. The house, barn and all are built in one building. Some of the buildings are hundreds of years old. They are fixed very nice inside, but by looking at from the outside you would think it was a barnyard. The French wear wooden shoes. We call them canoes. We boys are going to bring back a pair of them to the states to go canoe riding with. You ought to hear me trying to speak French, it sounds like a bunch of jabbering, but I have learned a little, but will have to learn a whole lot to be able to speak much French. The French people are awful nice to the American soldiers. We are up where the fun is the thickest, where the trollie cars play over your head and where you can see an abundance of fire works all the time. When you hear some of those trollie cars coming, you had better duck, for believe me, it is ducking time. If you don't duck, well, I don't know what would happen. Up here you can see one of the best moving picture shows you ever saw in your life, and one that is not a fake either. You get all the excitement and entertainment you want. The American Red Cross is sure doing wonderful work over here. They give so many things to the soldiers that the soldiers need. There will not be an American soldier who will not remember the Red Cross and thank them for what they have done for them. I would sure love to see all of you. I bet Herbert and Floyd sure have growed. Tell them hello for me. Tell Herbert to pick me out a good girl. I am sorry Floyd is not well, hope he is all right now. I don't know why Golden should think hard of me, for I have written him. I don't know how many times and received no answer, so I will write him one and put it in with yours. I sure am glad to hear he is doing fine. I sure hope he will continue to do so. I sure would like to see Golden. I guess he has growed. Tell him to be sure and write me.
I sure am glad you all like where you are at and have a good home, for there is no place like home. I sure hope you make a fine crop. I sure am glad you have a good garden, for a garden is hard to beat. Well, I guess I will have to close for I have wrote all the news. I know you wanted to know what kind of sox I wear. I wear wool sox. You want to be sure and write real soon for it takes a long time for a letter to reach me. It takes about a month. So write soon from your loving nephew.
HERMAN HILL
A.P.O. 740, Amb. Co. 27, Reg. A.E.F. France. Via New York.
NOTES: This letter was written by Herman Hill.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Somewhere in France,
July 11.
Mrs. Mollie Foulkes,
Dear Aunt and Uncle:
I will answer your letter which I received yesterday I was surprised, but it sure was a glad surprise. I was sure glad to hear from you, and know that you were all well. This leaves me fine and dandy, and in the best of health, and enjoying soldier life better every day.
Gee, but I sure would like to be there and get some of those good eats. If I was to sit down to a table full of good eats, like you said you had for dinner, I would die of fright. But bet your life I would die with a full stomach and die happy. When you are eating all those good eats, you want to think of me and eat a lot for me--and that huckleberry pie, you can eat three or four of those for me if you want to. Talking about all those good eats makes me homesick. It makes me think of what a good time I will have when I get out of the army, which will be soon, I believe, for we are after the kaiser and we are going to get him.
You said bed bugs were bad there. They are nothing compared with 'cooties' on the front line trenches. You go up there and stay about two weeks and you will scratch yourself to death nearly. Having cooties on you is no fun, believe me. I have moved several times since you last heard from me
We were stationed at Fort Clark in Texas. We were in training there for 5 or 8 months, then we came across the pond to France. We sure had a nice trip all the way from Fort Clark over here. France sure is a pretty country, it has some of the prettiest scenery I ever saw. They have lots of parks, and the people take pride in keeping up their parks and forests. There are lots of trees planted here, they sure look pretty. At every house there is a garden, half of which is planted in flowers. I don't know what the French people would do if it wasn't for their flowers. They sure have some queer buildings here, all of the houses are built of rock, lime and cement. The house, barn and all are built in one building. Some of the buildings are hundreds of years old. They are fixed very nice inside, but by looking at from the outside you would think it was a barnyard. The French wear wooden shoes. We call them canoes. We boys are going to bring back a pair of them to the states to go canoe riding with. You ought to hear me trying to speak French, it sounds like a bunch of jabbering, but I have learned a little, but will have to learn a whole lot to be able to speak much French. The French people are awful nice to the American soldiers. We are up where the fun is the thickest, where the trollie cars play over your head and where you can see an abundance of fire works all the time. When you hear some of those trollie cars coming, you had better duck, for believe me, it is ducking time. If you don't duck, well, I don't know what would happen. Up here you can see one of the best moving picture shows you ever saw in your life, and one that is not a fake either. You get all the excitement and entertainment you want. The American Red Cross is sure doing wonderful work over here. They give so many things to the soldiers that the soldiers need. There will not be an American soldier who will not remember the Red Cross and thank them for what they have done for them. I would sure love to see all of you. I bet Herbert and Floyd sure have growed. Tell them hello for me. Tell Herbert to pick me out a good girl. I am sorry Floyd is not well, hope he is all right now. I don't know why Golden should think hard of me, for I have written him. I don't know how many times and received no answer, so I will write him one and put it in with yours. I sure am glad to hear he is doing fine. I sure hope he will continue to do so. I sure would like to see Golden. I guess he has growed. Tell him to be sure and write me.
I sure am glad you all like where you are at and have a good home, for there is no place like home. I sure hope you make a fine crop. I sure am glad you have a good garden, for a garden is hard to beat. Well, I guess I will have to close for I have wrote all the news. I know you wanted to know what kind of sox I wear. I wear wool sox. You want to be sure and write real soon for it takes a long time for a letter to reach me. It takes about a month. So write soon from your loving nephew.
HERMAN HILL
A.P.O. 740, Amb. Co. 27, Reg. A.E.F. France. Via New York.
NOTES: This letter was written by Herman Hill.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD