TRANSCRIBED FROM THE VAN BUREN PRESS-ARGUS MARCH 5, 1918 P. 6
Somewhere in France,
Dear Mother:
I am going to write you a word tonight and I trust this letter will reach you in due time. I am anxious to get some mail from home, so I will know how you and papa are getting along. I hope you both are as well and getting along as good as I am. So far, I have no complaints, at all, to make concerning army life. I guess it is more important that you get my letters than it is for me to get mail, and I hope that this reaches you regularly, but if it does not, please don’t worry about me for I am going to get along all right. Our squadron has not received any mail yet. I suppose it is here somewhere—it will soon be three months since I enlisted. It seems a long time when I look back over the space of time but the days pass too quickly over here. I suppose it is because I am kept busy during the day. Army life certainly is agreeing with me, going to bed early, getting up early, and getting plenty to eat. Today I weighed, tipping the scales at 157 pounds; so you see, my appetite is not bad.
You will have plenty to do cooking for me when I stay here a while longer. About the only thing we miss over here, or rather what I miss most is the newspapers. News is very scarce, although we get the Chicago Tribune and another American paper. They are the Paris edition. Our mail from home is not censored, so you can write me all the news.
Do you know where the boys I enlisted with, are? Has any of them came over here? If I should meet any of them we certainly would have some interesting things to tell each other.
I have seen some wonderful sights and a beautiful country. Our trip over was made without danger but I do not care to make another, until I return home. I am just now getting so I can eat without getting out of the way of chairs, walls, tables, etc.
There are so many things I could write if allowed to, som ust close for this time, hoping to get news from home soon. I am not losing any sleep about coming home, but can assure you, I will be glad to be home again. Until that time you must be patient and watch the Kaiser get his just dues, which I think will be soon.
Your son,
JIM.
NOTES: This letter was written by James Stevenson Kenney of the 153rd Aero Squadron to his mother Mrs. Stewart (Laura) F. Kenney of East Van Buren, Arkansas. He was born on February 19, 1895 and died August 28, 1942. He is buried in the Alma City Cemetery, Alma, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Somewhere in France,
Dear Mother:
I am going to write you a word tonight and I trust this letter will reach you in due time. I am anxious to get some mail from home, so I will know how you and papa are getting along. I hope you both are as well and getting along as good as I am. So far, I have no complaints, at all, to make concerning army life. I guess it is more important that you get my letters than it is for me to get mail, and I hope that this reaches you regularly, but if it does not, please don’t worry about me for I am going to get along all right. Our squadron has not received any mail yet. I suppose it is here somewhere—it will soon be three months since I enlisted. It seems a long time when I look back over the space of time but the days pass too quickly over here. I suppose it is because I am kept busy during the day. Army life certainly is agreeing with me, going to bed early, getting up early, and getting plenty to eat. Today I weighed, tipping the scales at 157 pounds; so you see, my appetite is not bad.
You will have plenty to do cooking for me when I stay here a while longer. About the only thing we miss over here, or rather what I miss most is the newspapers. News is very scarce, although we get the Chicago Tribune and another American paper. They are the Paris edition. Our mail from home is not censored, so you can write me all the news.
Do you know where the boys I enlisted with, are? Has any of them came over here? If I should meet any of them we certainly would have some interesting things to tell each other.
I have seen some wonderful sights and a beautiful country. Our trip over was made without danger but I do not care to make another, until I return home. I am just now getting so I can eat without getting out of the way of chairs, walls, tables, etc.
There are so many things I could write if allowed to, som ust close for this time, hoping to get news from home soon. I am not losing any sleep about coming home, but can assure you, I will be glad to be home again. Until that time you must be patient and watch the Kaiser get his just dues, which I think will be soon.
Your son,
JIM.
NOTES: This letter was written by James Stevenson Kenney of the 153rd Aero Squadron to his mother Mrs. Stewart (Laura) F. Kenney of East Van Buren, Arkansas. He was born on February 19, 1895 and died August 28, 1942. He is buried in the Alma City Cemetery, Alma, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT