TRANSCRIBED FROM THE COURIER DEMOCRAT FEBRUARY 21, 1918 P. 4
Camp Herring, Peoria, Ill.,
February 12, 1918.
Editor Courier-Democrat:
So many letrers come asking what we are doing up here that I could not possibly steal time enough from my studies to answer them all, but my poor attempt at a letter may interest some of your readers, besides those I would love to write to personally. So if you will allow me space I will tell them something of the "Tank Factory," as much as I can say.
Peoria is the home of the Holt Caterpillar Tractor, and as the Government uses these tractors in tanks and to move their heavy guns, they have established a school here, where their motor section heads may be trained and see these tractors being built, tested, repaired, etc. They don't show us much of the "Tank," and we only know that they are a heavy steel house, built on a caterpillar tractor to protect the gunners and house the guns. Our business is to learn how to build, drive and repair these tractors, so that we may in turn instruct those under us in the motor section of our batteries. I am not permitted to say how many of them we still have in each battery, but a motor section will have enough of them and heavy trucks to keep us busy seeing that they are all driven and cared for right.
I may say that train load after train load of these tractors are leaving here each week for Uncle Sam and the French government.
There were six men picked from the eighteen hundred men in the 142nd Field Artillery to head this motor work, and Russellville furnished two of them, they being Floyd Vick of Battery C, and myself. There are but five of us now, for one Ralph Jackson of Bentonville, a mighty nice boy of nineteen years, for some unexplainable reason ran off to Springfield, Ill., and took 100 grains of chloride on Thursday last and died Saturday. This came as a great shock to us, as he was in good spirits and apparently taking great interest in his schooling.
Everything is fine with us. We found a fine bunch of officers and men here, and the people of Peoria are just great. To prove this I am enclosing some clippings from the Peoria Journal. We are entertained Tuesday and Friday nights at the Barracks by boxing, wrestling matches, orchestra, etc., and on Sundays Peoria people take entire charge of us. I fear, tho, they are spoiling us. But we sure appreciate their interest.
I haven't read a C-D since we've been here, though I asked the boys at Beauregard to forward all mail promptly. I guess they are pulling one over on me.
Will close, as I must be digging into my lessons. Thanking you for the space if you publish my letter, I am
Respectfully yours,
W. F. LAVASQUE,
Barracks 1, Camp Herring, Peoria, Ill.
NOTES: William Fulton Lavasque was born on October 3, 1888 in Dial, Georgia and died on April 15, 1976 in Russellville, Arkansas. He is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Russellville. His military headstone identifies him as a Private serving in the US Army during WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Camp Herring, Peoria, Ill.,
February 12, 1918.
Editor Courier-Democrat:
So many letrers come asking what we are doing up here that I could not possibly steal time enough from my studies to answer them all, but my poor attempt at a letter may interest some of your readers, besides those I would love to write to personally. So if you will allow me space I will tell them something of the "Tank Factory," as much as I can say.
Peoria is the home of the Holt Caterpillar Tractor, and as the Government uses these tractors in tanks and to move their heavy guns, they have established a school here, where their motor section heads may be trained and see these tractors being built, tested, repaired, etc. They don't show us much of the "Tank," and we only know that they are a heavy steel house, built on a caterpillar tractor to protect the gunners and house the guns. Our business is to learn how to build, drive and repair these tractors, so that we may in turn instruct those under us in the motor section of our batteries. I am not permitted to say how many of them we still have in each battery, but a motor section will have enough of them and heavy trucks to keep us busy seeing that they are all driven and cared for right.
I may say that train load after train load of these tractors are leaving here each week for Uncle Sam and the French government.
There were six men picked from the eighteen hundred men in the 142nd Field Artillery to head this motor work, and Russellville furnished two of them, they being Floyd Vick of Battery C, and myself. There are but five of us now, for one Ralph Jackson of Bentonville, a mighty nice boy of nineteen years, for some unexplainable reason ran off to Springfield, Ill., and took 100 grains of chloride on Thursday last and died Saturday. This came as a great shock to us, as he was in good spirits and apparently taking great interest in his schooling.
Everything is fine with us. We found a fine bunch of officers and men here, and the people of Peoria are just great. To prove this I am enclosing some clippings from the Peoria Journal. We are entertained Tuesday and Friday nights at the Barracks by boxing, wrestling matches, orchestra, etc., and on Sundays Peoria people take entire charge of us. I fear, tho, they are spoiling us. But we sure appreciate their interest.
I haven't read a C-D since we've been here, though I asked the boys at Beauregard to forward all mail promptly. I guess they are pulling one over on me.
Will close, as I must be digging into my lessons. Thanking you for the space if you publish my letter, I am
Respectfully yours,
W. F. LAVASQUE,
Barracks 1, Camp Herring, Peoria, Ill.
NOTES: William Fulton Lavasque was born on October 3, 1888 in Dial, Georgia and died on April 15, 1976 in Russellville, Arkansas. He is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Russellville. His military headstone identifies him as a Private serving in the US Army during WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD