TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS GAZETTE NOVEMBER 3, 1918 P. 25
The people at home are not a bit more proud of our division, the Rainbow, than we are. By this time the Huns must know us fairly well, to their sorrow. One of the boys came in a few minutes ago with a chunk of cheese, the strong smelling kind. After I had taken one bite I discovered that there were worms in it, and the cheese eating ended immediately. I happened to have a bottle of white wine, and we proceeded to drink that to get rid of that awful taste. The thing that bothers me most over here is the cooties, which is a pet name for a louse. They are of a most loving dispensation, and also have ravenous appetites, which cause us to disagree very much, but they are very hard to get rid of when you are in the lines, as everything is infested with them. We also have German fleas lately, and they are worst, but not quite as plentiful. Oh, yes, it is a great life, if you don’t weaken, so we just cuss awhile and laugh and joke and everything is lovely.
I tried to do a washing today, but the clothes looked worse when I got through than when I started, but I may succeed same day.
I am enclosing a few photos of some of the sergeants in my company. One of them captured seven Germans in our last drive. He is making a lot of noise now about some pie he just had, but no one believes him, as I don’t think there is any pie here.
NOTES: Sergeant William W. Minor was writing to his mother. He was born on April 1895 in Louisiana. He returned from Brest, France onboard the USS South Carolina on April 15, 1919. He was serving in Co. C 117 FSB Field Signal Bat.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
The people at home are not a bit more proud of our division, the Rainbow, than we are. By this time the Huns must know us fairly well, to their sorrow. One of the boys came in a few minutes ago with a chunk of cheese, the strong smelling kind. After I had taken one bite I discovered that there were worms in it, and the cheese eating ended immediately. I happened to have a bottle of white wine, and we proceeded to drink that to get rid of that awful taste. The thing that bothers me most over here is the cooties, which is a pet name for a louse. They are of a most loving dispensation, and also have ravenous appetites, which cause us to disagree very much, but they are very hard to get rid of when you are in the lines, as everything is infested with them. We also have German fleas lately, and they are worst, but not quite as plentiful. Oh, yes, it is a great life, if you don’t weaken, so we just cuss awhile and laugh and joke and everything is lovely.
I tried to do a washing today, but the clothes looked worse when I got through than when I started, but I may succeed same day.
I am enclosing a few photos of some of the sergeants in my company. One of them captured seven Germans in our last drive. He is making a lot of noise now about some pie he just had, but no one believes him, as I don’t think there is any pie here.
NOTES: Sergeant William W. Minor was writing to his mother. He was born on April 1895 in Louisiana. He returned from Brest, France onboard the USS South Carolina on April 15, 1919. He was serving in Co. C 117 FSB Field Signal Bat.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT