TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MENA WEEKLY STAR AUGUST 8, 1918 P. 3
I have a little bit of news to slip to you. Your military brother has ceased to be a “shavetail”and now I am wearing a bar of silver and U.S.N.A. on my collar. It doesn’t amount to much. No doubt I could have killed just as many Germans as a second lieutenant, but it does give a sense of satisfaction, and goodness knows I have worked for it. I just didn’t want to go through this war as a gold-bar. I am the first one promoted in this regiment out of that bunch that came here with me, which also means something.
We are now very busy preparing to take the little journey---have only a few weeks more before the chance comes.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by William Enloe Nelson to his sister Marie Nelson. He was writing about his promotion to First Lieutenant. He was born on September 2, 1894 in Chanute, Kansas and died on November 20, 1964. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena, Arkansas. He departed St. Nazaire, France on June 20, 1919 onboard the Pocahontas. He arrived at Camp Hill, Newport News, Virginia. He was serving as a First Lieutenant in 115th Field Artillery Guard Company Army Service Corps.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
I have a little bit of news to slip to you. Your military brother has ceased to be a “shavetail”and now I am wearing a bar of silver and U.S.N.A. on my collar. It doesn’t amount to much. No doubt I could have killed just as many Germans as a second lieutenant, but it does give a sense of satisfaction, and goodness knows I have worked for it. I just didn’t want to go through this war as a gold-bar. I am the first one promoted in this regiment out of that bunch that came here with me, which also means something.
We are now very busy preparing to take the little journey---have only a few weeks more before the chance comes.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by William Enloe Nelson to his sister Marie Nelson. He was writing about his promotion to First Lieutenant. He was born on September 2, 1894 in Chanute, Kansas and died on November 20, 1964. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena, Arkansas. He departed St. Nazaire, France on June 20, 1919 onboard the Pocahontas. He arrived at Camp Hill, Newport News, Virginia. He was serving as a First Lieutenant in 115th Field Artillery Guard Company Army Service Corps.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON