TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ROGERS DEMOCRAT OCTOBER 24, 1918 P. 1
Sept. 23rd.
Dear Folks:
My stay in France seems to have caused me bad luck. Haven't had any mail since August 27th. Guess I will not be on the waiting list long, however, for soon we are to move to a big American training camp, when we will get our mail regularly.
Sunday afternoon we had tea at a big chateau with an old Frenchman and his niece and nephew. The little girl was only sixteen but had spent five years in an English school and speaks English well. The chateau was built in 1320 or rather the old castle was built then. They live in the new chateau which was built in 1820. It was a great experience to visit the old castle. I sat in a chair that Napoleon used at one time--didn't feel any better for it however.
Have had a little cold for the past two days and the lady in whose home I am billeted has an awful time trying to keep me out of the rain. She nearly has a fit every time I go out and when I come in she has a hot mustard plaster or some kind of bitter tea ready for me. These people certainly treat the American soldiers fine where they can.
I am leaving this place day after tomorrow--have a new title just now for the present. I am a billeting officer and go ahead and arrange billets for my battery. Tomorrow I take an examination which lasts all day on stuff that I have been learning for the past two weeks. When we are settled again our real training begins.
Will be glad to get to the American camp. Haven't had a bath for two weeks and no tobacco at all. We will be fixed up fine however when we come out of the wilderness to the training camp.
The spirit of the boys couldn't be better. We all want to fight. We have a great time when someone gets a newspaper and it is passed around until it is worn out. Some places they sell the New York Herald (printed in Paris) but where we have been so far they bring only one every once in a while.
I came very near changing branches of service a few days ago. A call came for aerial observers. Six of us volunteered but only one was taken out of our regiment. Possible some of the others will go later. To be a good observer one has to be a good artilleryman, a wireless operator, an expert photographer and a general good bright man. Guess that was the reason I didn't get to go--especially the latter. I have most of the others to my credit already, whether I am deserving of it or not.
Believe me, the U.S.A. certainly spends lots of time and money teaching her soldiers. One can really get a good education in our branch of the service besides doing something for Uncle Sam. Our thoroness is showing up, too, from what I can hear and read in the papers. I am not learning this lingo very fast. Seems funny; even the children speak French, while all I can say is "Good morning." I don't have much time to chew my tongue and spit this stuff however it will have to just soak in if I keep as busy as I have been recently.
Hoping that I can get a word from the U.S.A. this week.
LOY.
NOTES: Loy Lester McFarlin was born in Rogers, Arkansas on August 22, 1894 and died in Orange County, California on August 12, 1976. He is buried in the El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest, California. He enlisted on August 5, 1917 and was discharged on September 8, 1919. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 31, 1918 onboard the Leviathan. He was listed as a 2nd Lieut. serving in Battery B 142nd FA. He departed Brest, France on June 3, 1919 onboard the Liberator. He arrived in Brooklyn, NY on June 16, 1919. He was listed as a 2nd Lieut. serving in the 166th Day Bombing Aero Squadron Air Service.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Sept. 23rd.
Dear Folks:
My stay in France seems to have caused me bad luck. Haven't had any mail since August 27th. Guess I will not be on the waiting list long, however, for soon we are to move to a big American training camp, when we will get our mail regularly.
Sunday afternoon we had tea at a big chateau with an old Frenchman and his niece and nephew. The little girl was only sixteen but had spent five years in an English school and speaks English well. The chateau was built in 1320 or rather the old castle was built then. They live in the new chateau which was built in 1820. It was a great experience to visit the old castle. I sat in a chair that Napoleon used at one time--didn't feel any better for it however.
Have had a little cold for the past two days and the lady in whose home I am billeted has an awful time trying to keep me out of the rain. She nearly has a fit every time I go out and when I come in she has a hot mustard plaster or some kind of bitter tea ready for me. These people certainly treat the American soldiers fine where they can.
I am leaving this place day after tomorrow--have a new title just now for the present. I am a billeting officer and go ahead and arrange billets for my battery. Tomorrow I take an examination which lasts all day on stuff that I have been learning for the past two weeks. When we are settled again our real training begins.
Will be glad to get to the American camp. Haven't had a bath for two weeks and no tobacco at all. We will be fixed up fine however when we come out of the wilderness to the training camp.
The spirit of the boys couldn't be better. We all want to fight. We have a great time when someone gets a newspaper and it is passed around until it is worn out. Some places they sell the New York Herald (printed in Paris) but where we have been so far they bring only one every once in a while.
I came very near changing branches of service a few days ago. A call came for aerial observers. Six of us volunteered but only one was taken out of our regiment. Possible some of the others will go later. To be a good observer one has to be a good artilleryman, a wireless operator, an expert photographer and a general good bright man. Guess that was the reason I didn't get to go--especially the latter. I have most of the others to my credit already, whether I am deserving of it or not.
Believe me, the U.S.A. certainly spends lots of time and money teaching her soldiers. One can really get a good education in our branch of the service besides doing something for Uncle Sam. Our thoroness is showing up, too, from what I can hear and read in the papers. I am not learning this lingo very fast. Seems funny; even the children speak French, while all I can say is "Good morning." I don't have much time to chew my tongue and spit this stuff however it will have to just soak in if I keep as busy as I have been recently.
Hoping that I can get a word from the U.S.A. this week.
LOY.
NOTES: Loy Lester McFarlin was born in Rogers, Arkansas on August 22, 1894 and died in Orange County, California on August 12, 1976. He is buried in the El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest, California. He enlisted on August 5, 1917 and was discharged on September 8, 1919. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 31, 1918 onboard the Leviathan. He was listed as a 2nd Lieut. serving in Battery B 142nd FA. He departed Brest, France on June 3, 1919 onboard the Liberator. He arrived in Brooklyn, NY on June 16, 1919. He was listed as a 2nd Lieut. serving in the 166th Day Bombing Aero Squadron Air Service.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD