TRANSCRIBED FROM THE GREEN FOREST TRIBUNE MARCH 18, 1919 P. 7
Harmonville, France, Jan. 28, 1919
Miss Claudia Hollinger
College Station, Ark.
Dear Friend:
Was very agreeably surprised to receive a letter from you, which reached me last evening. We have moved twice since I first wrote you. I was sent to Vigneulles, which was about 8 kilos, from where I was then (Hendecount) and stayed at Vigneulles at the telephone exchange for three weeks.
There were 6 of us at the exchange, maintaining and operating Christmas day. I had a very good dinner with the engineers with whom we were being rationed. We had some very good roast beef, well done, nice and brown, and splendid gravy, potatoes mashed, cold slaw, pudding, jam, nuts, fruit, chocolate candy and 2 packages cigarettes. Also each man was given a cup of beer, if he so desired.
It was quite a contrast with my Thanksgiving dinner, which was corned willy, as our rations did not reach us in time. After being in Vienules for three weeks we were told to close up the exchange and come back to where the company was at Hendicourt. We then assembled with our packs and equipment and travelled all morning and stopped where we are now, Harmonville, (sounds American doesn’t it?) We passed through Toul, and are about 40 kilos or 25 miles south of Toul, waiting for what we don’t know, maybe we will be going home soon and perhaps not.
Was very glad indeed to find a picture in the letter and I am very sorry that I have nome of myself, as I would like to send you one in return. Have not had any taken since I was down in El Paso, Texas, with National Guard in 1916, and at present haven’t any with me. It has gotten pretty cold the last week or two, but 5 of us managed to rent the front room of a house, where we have cots to sleep on, have a large old fashioned fire place, which makes it so nice and comfy, in the evenings.
I am writing this in the other room where there is a motherly old French woman who lives in the house by herself. She must be at least 70 years old, who does all her own work, and everything else that she has to do. Every little while she will say something and usually quite a lot of words real fast, and I have my dictionary right alongside of me. It is quite a joke to see the boys faces when the French people are talking to them, and as a rule they don’t talk or understand French, so after something is said to them, you see a funny, sort of a glazed look creeping over their faces, and then they will say we, we, meaning yes, but if the French people are not satisfied with the answer, they (Americans) will shake their heads and say pahr, meaning no, and you’d be surprised how good you can get along, by just trying to guess what they are saying to you. It has been sad on account of the boys here worrying because of the Flu being so deadly back home in the States, and a good many of our boys here have been unfortunate to hear from their homes telling of sickness or deaths due to the Flu. I certainly do thank God that no one in our family has suffered yet from the dread malady, and hope that our good fortune still stays with us.
Well, I really haven’t anything else to write you, so will close, with kind wishes, from a
Sincere friend,
Ned A. Livingston,
B. Co., 103rd Fld. Sig. Bn. A. P. O. 749, A. E. F.
NOTES: Livingston was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the military on March 28, 1918 and was discharged on May 19, 1919. He served overseas from May 18, 1918 to May 7, 1919. He served as a Corp. in Co. B of the 103 Field Signal Bn. He departed from St. Nazaire, France on April 23, 1919 onboard the Liberator. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. on May 7, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Harmonville, France, Jan. 28, 1919
Miss Claudia Hollinger
College Station, Ark.
Dear Friend:
Was very agreeably surprised to receive a letter from you, which reached me last evening. We have moved twice since I first wrote you. I was sent to Vigneulles, which was about 8 kilos, from where I was then (Hendecount) and stayed at Vigneulles at the telephone exchange for three weeks.
There were 6 of us at the exchange, maintaining and operating Christmas day. I had a very good dinner with the engineers with whom we were being rationed. We had some very good roast beef, well done, nice and brown, and splendid gravy, potatoes mashed, cold slaw, pudding, jam, nuts, fruit, chocolate candy and 2 packages cigarettes. Also each man was given a cup of beer, if he so desired.
It was quite a contrast with my Thanksgiving dinner, which was corned willy, as our rations did not reach us in time. After being in Vienules for three weeks we were told to close up the exchange and come back to where the company was at Hendicourt. We then assembled with our packs and equipment and travelled all morning and stopped where we are now, Harmonville, (sounds American doesn’t it?) We passed through Toul, and are about 40 kilos or 25 miles south of Toul, waiting for what we don’t know, maybe we will be going home soon and perhaps not.
Was very glad indeed to find a picture in the letter and I am very sorry that I have nome of myself, as I would like to send you one in return. Have not had any taken since I was down in El Paso, Texas, with National Guard in 1916, and at present haven’t any with me. It has gotten pretty cold the last week or two, but 5 of us managed to rent the front room of a house, where we have cots to sleep on, have a large old fashioned fire place, which makes it so nice and comfy, in the evenings.
I am writing this in the other room where there is a motherly old French woman who lives in the house by herself. She must be at least 70 years old, who does all her own work, and everything else that she has to do. Every little while she will say something and usually quite a lot of words real fast, and I have my dictionary right alongside of me. It is quite a joke to see the boys faces when the French people are talking to them, and as a rule they don’t talk or understand French, so after something is said to them, you see a funny, sort of a glazed look creeping over their faces, and then they will say we, we, meaning yes, but if the French people are not satisfied with the answer, they (Americans) will shake their heads and say pahr, meaning no, and you’d be surprised how good you can get along, by just trying to guess what they are saying to you. It has been sad on account of the boys here worrying because of the Flu being so deadly back home in the States, and a good many of our boys here have been unfortunate to hear from their homes telling of sickness or deaths due to the Flu. I certainly do thank God that no one in our family has suffered yet from the dread malady, and hope that our good fortune still stays with us.
Well, I really haven’t anything else to write you, so will close, with kind wishes, from a
Sincere friend,
Ned A. Livingston,
B. Co., 103rd Fld. Sig. Bn. A. P. O. 749, A. E. F.
NOTES: Livingston was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the military on March 28, 1918 and was discharged on May 19, 1919. He served overseas from May 18, 1918 to May 7, 1919. He served as a Corp. in Co. B of the 103 Field Signal Bn. He departed from St. Nazaire, France on April 23, 1919 onboard the Liberator. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. on May 7, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS