TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BRINKLEY ARGUS APRIL 25, 1919 P. 2
Neidermendig, Ger’y.
March 24, 1919
Dear Mother:
It has now been a while since I heard from you and since I write once a week I’m wondering how many more letters I'll write before hearing from you.
This is Sunday and a rather lonesome one. Nothing to do but sleep.
Just saw a list of the divisions that are coming home and I didn’t see mine. (ha-ha) I guess you wonder why. I am in a regular army division and don’t think I will get home before October or November.
We have men that have been in the army fifteen or twenty years and are still good men. They say you are not a soldier until you put in ten or fifteen years. However, they all want to get out now, even officers want to get home.
Had the honor of seeing Gen. Pershing Monday. He inspected the 3rd Division. Had a day of it, too. We had to hike about twenty miles, got there about ten o’clock and had to stay until five. It was sure cold and we didn’t have anything to eat but a sandwich. They started out with our Division, and got lost, but when we started back we met them and all got our mess kits and ate right on the road. It was snowing and was pretty cold but we didn’t mind that. It was about nine o’clock when we got back and I was sure tired. The pretty part about it though was that we had the day off. I got up about ten o’clock and was some sore. It was nice to sleep as long in the morning as you want to without hearing a bugler.
The General gave us a pretty nice talk. Said that we might be here six months and we might be here a year. That’s nice encouragement, don’t you think?
We got a pass to Andernarh Thursday and I sure enjoyed myself. The Y.M.C.A. gave us hot chocolate and cakes. We saw a good show also. We had some real ham and eggs and that’s something great in the army. We all went in trucks.
They try to make it as pleasant as they can for us. We are not drilling so hard now just enough to keep us in good shape. We are getting up a ball team now.
Tell everybody hello for me and I think I will be home for Christmas dinner (ha-ha).
Will write to you in a few days, so good-bye and write me soon.
Your loving son,
Clarence.
NOTES: This letter was written by Clarence James Osborne of Brinkley, Arkansas. Osborne was born on December 27, 1892 in Brinkley. He died on November 15 1954. He is buried in the Oaklawn Cemetery in Brinkley. His military headstone identifies him as a Pfc. serving in Co. B 38th Infantry during World War I. He departed Brooklyn, NY on August 30, 1918 onboard the Ulysses. He was serving as a Private in Camp Pike September Automatic Replacement Draft #27 Infantry. He departed Brest, France on August 11, 1919 onboard the Matsonia. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on August 20,1919. He was serving as a Private in Co. B 38th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY ADIN TYGART
Neidermendig, Ger’y.
March 24, 1919
Dear Mother:
It has now been a while since I heard from you and since I write once a week I’m wondering how many more letters I'll write before hearing from you.
This is Sunday and a rather lonesome one. Nothing to do but sleep.
Just saw a list of the divisions that are coming home and I didn’t see mine. (ha-ha) I guess you wonder why. I am in a regular army division and don’t think I will get home before October or November.
We have men that have been in the army fifteen or twenty years and are still good men. They say you are not a soldier until you put in ten or fifteen years. However, they all want to get out now, even officers want to get home.
Had the honor of seeing Gen. Pershing Monday. He inspected the 3rd Division. Had a day of it, too. We had to hike about twenty miles, got there about ten o’clock and had to stay until five. It was sure cold and we didn’t have anything to eat but a sandwich. They started out with our Division, and got lost, but when we started back we met them and all got our mess kits and ate right on the road. It was snowing and was pretty cold but we didn’t mind that. It was about nine o’clock when we got back and I was sure tired. The pretty part about it though was that we had the day off. I got up about ten o’clock and was some sore. It was nice to sleep as long in the morning as you want to without hearing a bugler.
The General gave us a pretty nice talk. Said that we might be here six months and we might be here a year. That’s nice encouragement, don’t you think?
We got a pass to Andernarh Thursday and I sure enjoyed myself. The Y.M.C.A. gave us hot chocolate and cakes. We saw a good show also. We had some real ham and eggs and that’s something great in the army. We all went in trucks.
They try to make it as pleasant as they can for us. We are not drilling so hard now just enough to keep us in good shape. We are getting up a ball team now.
Tell everybody hello for me and I think I will be home for Christmas dinner (ha-ha).
Will write to you in a few days, so good-bye and write me soon.
Your loving son,
Clarence.
NOTES: This letter was written by Clarence James Osborne of Brinkley, Arkansas. Osborne was born on December 27, 1892 in Brinkley. He died on November 15 1954. He is buried in the Oaklawn Cemetery in Brinkley. His military headstone identifies him as a Pfc. serving in Co. B 38th Infantry during World War I. He departed Brooklyn, NY on August 30, 1918 onboard the Ulysses. He was serving as a Private in Camp Pike September Automatic Replacement Draft #27 Infantry. He departed Brest, France on August 11, 1919 onboard the Matsonia. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on August 20,1919. He was serving as a Private in Co. B 38th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY ADIN TYGART