TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS NOVEMBER 22, 1918 P. 3
Dear Parents:
I will write you something about my trip. We got hereabout one o'clock. Had my supper and got my bed, two blankets and a quilt. We had a nice trip, came through Dallas about 11 o'clock at night. It certainly is a nice town. I saw lots of cotton and a cotton gin. Saw lots of cattle, it kept me busy watching everything we passed and I have seven men to see after. I haven't seen much today but negroes and Mexicans and lots of airplanes, you can see 6 or 8 any time you look up and 2 or 3 observation balloons. The airplanes make lots of noise, they look just like a bird. I saw one go way up in the air and then dip toward the ground, it look just like he was blowed up, but he just sailed off like a bird. It sure did look exciting. There is about 100,000 soldiers in this camp, but you don't notice it only at meal time. Just had my dinner, had potatoes, beans, macaroni, prunes, tomatoes and ice cream and grape juice to drink. I feel just like a stuffed weinie. We sleep in a tent, five men to a tent. In the morning we carry our cot out in front of the tent and let it sit in the sun all day and open our tents up and let them air. I have been up to the tractor school driving a car, had to drive it between stakes with crooks and turns in it, through ditches, in circles and every other way. I made it all right only I knocked down two stakes and that blowed me up. Did not care very much for a truck driver has to be out night and day, just as well be a private as anything. Have not drilled any yet. I have my new uniform and everything fits me fine but my shoes, they are too large, they had us put a 50 pound weight in one hand and stand on one foot to spread it. I have been running around this morning with my overcoat on. I sure did get a good fit in my overcoat. I am going to have my picture taken just as soon as I can to let you see how I look in my new suit. We are under quarantine now. There were about ten men came to our company last night in a truck and brought a piano and of all the music and singing they did it, it was just like a show. Tell Aleda I heard a new song one of the soldiers made it up himself, called "The Quarantine Blues," sure was fine, I liked to have killed myself laughing. I haven't had much work to do, just piddling around. Learned how to salute officers and a few little things, they do not expect much out of us new boys. Have not our guns yet, guess it will be quite a while before we get to handle one.
On Sunday.--We moved up in the barracks today, it is a better place, good beds. Guess we will go to drilling in the morning, was examined today and passed. Will take another examination in the morning, that makes five examinations, they sure keep track of you. They can learn more about a fellow in an hour than he knows about himself. There were eight men picked from my company and I was one of them, all of my pals got to come with me. Oh, yes they issued me a gun today and it sure is a fine looking piece of machinery.
The back of my neck is sore from looking up at the airplanes, sometimes they form something like ducks in the air. Well will close, write soon and send me the Springdale News. Tell everyone hello for me.
Claude D. Kelley,
Candidate Section Troop C.
Care of Y.M.C.A., No. 4.
Camp Stanley, Texas.
NOTES: Claude Daymond Kelley was writing to his parents Mr. and Mrs. John Kelley. Kelley was born on August 22, 1897 in Springdale, Arkansas and died on November 15, 1952 in Kansas City, Missouri. He is buried in the Bluff Cemetery in Springdale, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Dear Parents:
I will write you something about my trip. We got hereabout one o'clock. Had my supper and got my bed, two blankets and a quilt. We had a nice trip, came through Dallas about 11 o'clock at night. It certainly is a nice town. I saw lots of cotton and a cotton gin. Saw lots of cattle, it kept me busy watching everything we passed and I have seven men to see after. I haven't seen much today but negroes and Mexicans and lots of airplanes, you can see 6 or 8 any time you look up and 2 or 3 observation balloons. The airplanes make lots of noise, they look just like a bird. I saw one go way up in the air and then dip toward the ground, it look just like he was blowed up, but he just sailed off like a bird. It sure did look exciting. There is about 100,000 soldiers in this camp, but you don't notice it only at meal time. Just had my dinner, had potatoes, beans, macaroni, prunes, tomatoes and ice cream and grape juice to drink. I feel just like a stuffed weinie. We sleep in a tent, five men to a tent. In the morning we carry our cot out in front of the tent and let it sit in the sun all day and open our tents up and let them air. I have been up to the tractor school driving a car, had to drive it between stakes with crooks and turns in it, through ditches, in circles and every other way. I made it all right only I knocked down two stakes and that blowed me up. Did not care very much for a truck driver has to be out night and day, just as well be a private as anything. Have not drilled any yet. I have my new uniform and everything fits me fine but my shoes, they are too large, they had us put a 50 pound weight in one hand and stand on one foot to spread it. I have been running around this morning with my overcoat on. I sure did get a good fit in my overcoat. I am going to have my picture taken just as soon as I can to let you see how I look in my new suit. We are under quarantine now. There were about ten men came to our company last night in a truck and brought a piano and of all the music and singing they did it, it was just like a show. Tell Aleda I heard a new song one of the soldiers made it up himself, called "The Quarantine Blues," sure was fine, I liked to have killed myself laughing. I haven't had much work to do, just piddling around. Learned how to salute officers and a few little things, they do not expect much out of us new boys. Have not our guns yet, guess it will be quite a while before we get to handle one.
On Sunday.--We moved up in the barracks today, it is a better place, good beds. Guess we will go to drilling in the morning, was examined today and passed. Will take another examination in the morning, that makes five examinations, they sure keep track of you. They can learn more about a fellow in an hour than he knows about himself. There were eight men picked from my company and I was one of them, all of my pals got to come with me. Oh, yes they issued me a gun today and it sure is a fine looking piece of machinery.
The back of my neck is sore from looking up at the airplanes, sometimes they form something like ducks in the air. Well will close, write soon and send me the Springdale News. Tell everyone hello for me.
Claude D. Kelley,
Candidate Section Troop C.
Care of Y.M.C.A., No. 4.
Camp Stanley, Texas.
NOTES: Claude Daymond Kelley was writing to his parents Mr. and Mrs. John Kelley. Kelley was born on August 22, 1897 in Springdale, Arkansas and died on November 15, 1952 in Kansas City, Missouri. He is buried in the Bluff Cemetery in Springdale, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD