TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS GAZETTE FEBRUARY 23, 1919 P. 14
I tell you it makes a fellow feel good the war is over. I stayed with them until November 7. Four days later the armistice was signed. My first battle was at Chateau Thierry, then St. Mihiel, Verdun and on the Argonne sector. The Verdun and Argonne were the worst of them all. I had some narrow escapes. One evening a German shell hit just in front of the truck I was on, killed the driver. Another truck I was on ran in a shell hole. You ought to have seen me run. I nearly flew.
Believe me, this was a real war. I heard the cannons roar for over five months day and night. I like to think about it now, but I sure didn’t enjoy it at the time it was going on. It was nothing to be on duty 24 hours at a time. I had to wear hip boots for the mud and water was often over knee deep. Tom, I sure did have lots of hard work to do.
The air battles were interesting for me to watch. But God pity the ones that were in the fight. I shall take six months off and tell you all about the wonderful experiences and wonderful sights I have seen when I get home. I was carrying a box of ammunition that weighed 225 pounds. I fell down in the mud, and, of course, the box landed on my back, but I was able to stand it.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Everette Weir Park to his brother Tom Park of Okolona, Arkansas. He was born on February 1, 1897 in Okolona and died on July 24, 1959. He was a Pvt serving in Co. C, 153rd Infantry, 39th Division. He is buried in the Weir Cemetery in Caddo, La. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas, Pvt US Army, serving in World War I.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
I tell you it makes a fellow feel good the war is over. I stayed with them until November 7. Four days later the armistice was signed. My first battle was at Chateau Thierry, then St. Mihiel, Verdun and on the Argonne sector. The Verdun and Argonne were the worst of them all. I had some narrow escapes. One evening a German shell hit just in front of the truck I was on, killed the driver. Another truck I was on ran in a shell hole. You ought to have seen me run. I nearly flew.
Believe me, this was a real war. I heard the cannons roar for over five months day and night. I like to think about it now, but I sure didn’t enjoy it at the time it was going on. It was nothing to be on duty 24 hours at a time. I had to wear hip boots for the mud and water was often over knee deep. Tom, I sure did have lots of hard work to do.
The air battles were interesting for me to watch. But God pity the ones that were in the fight. I shall take six months off and tell you all about the wonderful experiences and wonderful sights I have seen when I get home. I was carrying a box of ammunition that weighed 225 pounds. I fell down in the mud, and, of course, the box landed on my back, but I was able to stand it.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Everette Weir Park to his brother Tom Park of Okolona, Arkansas. He was born on February 1, 1897 in Okolona and died on July 24, 1959. He was a Pvt serving in Co. C, 153rd Infantry, 39th Division. He is buried in the Weir Cemetery in Caddo, La. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas, Pvt US Army, serving in World War I.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT