TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE FEBRUARY 2, 1919 P. 25
December 17, 1918,
At last we are settled in a good warm place. We are in an old German orphans’ home. We have the finest building. It has steam heat, hot shower baths, also a big laundry. I have just had a good old bath and put on clean clothes. It was my first bath in six weeks. I think I washed all the cooties off, as I haven’t felt any in the last few minutes. You would be surprised at the way these Germans feel toward the United States soldiers. They say they don’t hate the Americans, but sure do hate the French. I was on duty over at Treves, about 70 kilometers from here, last night. The people over there have one block which they call the market block. They all bring souvenirs there and trade them to the Americans for soap and Bull Durham tobacco. You can’t buy anything for money. They say they don’t want money. You knew they can’t get soap, and they are crazy about Bull Durham. When I got in this morning, about 5 o’clock, all cold and hungry, the cook cooked me a big beefsteak and some hot coffee and toast with real butter on it. The Germans were surprised when they saw we had fresh meats. We have had splendid eats since we came into Germany. We have hot cakes every other morning for breakfast.
Wittlich January 2,
I wonder if you couldn’t manage to send me a Gazette once in a while? I haven’t read a paper, only the New York papers, in years. The old Gazette would be like getting a long letter. I am beginning to like this town all right now, as we have a “Y” opened up to us to spend our idle time, and believe me, she’s packed all the time. There are soldiers from everywhere, but I haven’t met a single guy I knew before the war. We have a lot of fun here in the hospital. We don’t get bawled out 50 times a day for making noise, but the major has forgotten that we lived in barns for four months.
NOTES: These partial letters were written by Joe Davis Lee to his parents Mr. and Mrs. James F Lee of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was born March 1, 1896. He was short and slender with grey eyes and blond hair. He served with Field Hospital 153, 14th Sanitary Train. He died November 3, 1968 and is buried De Ann Cemetery, Prescott, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Pfc. serving with the Field Hospital 153. (THERE IS A PHOTO OF HIM IN THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE)
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
December 17, 1918,
At last we are settled in a good warm place. We are in an old German orphans’ home. We have the finest building. It has steam heat, hot shower baths, also a big laundry. I have just had a good old bath and put on clean clothes. It was my first bath in six weeks. I think I washed all the cooties off, as I haven’t felt any in the last few minutes. You would be surprised at the way these Germans feel toward the United States soldiers. They say they don’t hate the Americans, but sure do hate the French. I was on duty over at Treves, about 70 kilometers from here, last night. The people over there have one block which they call the market block. They all bring souvenirs there and trade them to the Americans for soap and Bull Durham tobacco. You can’t buy anything for money. They say they don’t want money. You knew they can’t get soap, and they are crazy about Bull Durham. When I got in this morning, about 5 o’clock, all cold and hungry, the cook cooked me a big beefsteak and some hot coffee and toast with real butter on it. The Germans were surprised when they saw we had fresh meats. We have had splendid eats since we came into Germany. We have hot cakes every other morning for breakfast.
Wittlich January 2,
I wonder if you couldn’t manage to send me a Gazette once in a while? I haven’t read a paper, only the New York papers, in years. The old Gazette would be like getting a long letter. I am beginning to like this town all right now, as we have a “Y” opened up to us to spend our idle time, and believe me, she’s packed all the time. There are soldiers from everywhere, but I haven’t met a single guy I knew before the war. We have a lot of fun here in the hospital. We don’t get bawled out 50 times a day for making noise, but the major has forgotten that we lived in barns for four months.
NOTES: These partial letters were written by Joe Davis Lee to his parents Mr. and Mrs. James F Lee of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was born March 1, 1896. He was short and slender with grey eyes and blond hair. He served with Field Hospital 153, 14th Sanitary Train. He died November 3, 1968 and is buried De Ann Cemetery, Prescott, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Pfc. serving with the Field Hospital 153. (THERE IS A PHOTO OF HIM IN THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE)
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT