TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS GAZETTE DECEMBER 21 P. 15
Somewhere in France,
November 24, 1918,
Dr. Jos. A. Booker A.M.
Pres. Ark. Bapt. College,
Little Rock, Ark.
My Dear Sir:
This comes to let you and family hear from me. I am having good health and enjoying a very busy life. I trust this will find you all well.
Long before you get this letter I guess the state convention will have met, which I feel was a crowning success in every respect. You may be sure I felt a bit queer on account of not being able to attend the convention this year as I have for the past few years, but I gladly gave over for the time being, and contented myself with the fact thus I am helping to finish a great task which we had begun.
It has been a long trail since last I had opportunity of writing you, a trail fraught with excitement and bizarre pleasure. But there is exhalation in it all, even the drudgery, that makes for enthusiasm and gets thing done in super-American style. Unless one is among that few who are said to “think internationally,” it is almost impossible, back there is America, to realize the magnitude of this noiseless engine for general accomplishment, this American expeditionary force, which is working 24 hours a day “over there.” Those magic letter “A.E.F.” mean a world, a literal world, a buzzing hive of activity.
I am proud to have had a hand in this “big game” for democracy. We are proud of our country—The land of the free and the home of the brave. We are proud of our president upon whom the civilized nations of the world have centered their eyes. The heart of the French people is bursting with gratitude at the altruism of America in the fight for humanity and justice and cherishes the Stars and Stripes as the emblem of freedom.
Every civilized nation rejoiced at the firmness displayed by our president in his last peace policy, and heartily endorsed his reason for severity of his decision, which decision, echoes a death knell in the ears of those who have drenched the world in the blood of millions and inflicted untold suffering upon the nations.
We came over here with nothing else on our minds but victory. We are over here to free these people from the awful yoke of tyranny that they have been wearing for many years. We are possessed with that feeling of loyalty, pride and enthusiasm, first and especially for our own country, and we are trying to uphold the prestige, the honor and tradition of our country by adding something therto through the individual acts of our own.
The war is over physically speaking, I must say, but intellectually, morally, religiously and economically the “end is not yet.” The future consists of many problems that we did not have before the war. These problems demand the concentrated mental effort of every individual brain. The emotional reaction of joy that succeeded the birth of peace will take precedence over everything else. You can visualize a condition of chaos that will laugh in the face of serious thought and be quite unable to appreciate the fact that nothing short of collective intelligence and collective thinking will issue a safe solution to these problems.
The future needs thought just as the human body needs food. It needs human understanding. There must be a general high standard living and social security which might leave man free to become aware of his higher mental self. I believe there would be no limit to the possibilities of the future if humanity would awaken to the necessity of creating a condition of human life which would bless the children of tomorrow and justify the sacrifice and sorrow of today.
Right here I wish to speak to the work of the American Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. are doing for us. Never before have I been able to appreciate the great work of these societies as now. The Y. M. C. A. has made a strong impression on all of us. It goes from the camp to the base, and from the base to the trenches, carrying with it sweet memories of home and church. I have sat in silent awe amidst the worshippers in some of the old cathedrals here in France; I have mingled in vast crowds moved by the fiery eloquence of a Booker, or of a Simmons there in America, and was all inspiring so likewise do we get great encouragement and inspiration in some of the meetings that we have here at the “Y.” They set our minds wandering out toward far and beautiful horizons aflame with the glory of a new and better age.
Please have the convention number of the Vanguard sent to me. I would be glad if you have a few back copies sent, also, as far back as July. I will appreciate them very much. If these papers are tightly wrapped and mailed to the address given I will get them all right.
Kindly tender my greetings to the school.
Yours very truly,
Pvt. U. S. Parr,
Headquarters 335th Labor Ba.,
American E. F.
NOTES: Ulysses Simpson Parr was writing to Joseph A. Booker, president of Arkansas Baptist college. Parr was a graduate of the college and had been secretary to Dr. Booker. He was born on March 4, 1887/8 in Camden, Arkansas and died on April 15, 1968 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was described as being of medium height build with black eyes and hair. Parr was an African American soldier.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Somewhere in France,
November 24, 1918,
Dr. Jos. A. Booker A.M.
Pres. Ark. Bapt. College,
Little Rock, Ark.
My Dear Sir:
This comes to let you and family hear from me. I am having good health and enjoying a very busy life. I trust this will find you all well.
Long before you get this letter I guess the state convention will have met, which I feel was a crowning success in every respect. You may be sure I felt a bit queer on account of not being able to attend the convention this year as I have for the past few years, but I gladly gave over for the time being, and contented myself with the fact thus I am helping to finish a great task which we had begun.
It has been a long trail since last I had opportunity of writing you, a trail fraught with excitement and bizarre pleasure. But there is exhalation in it all, even the drudgery, that makes for enthusiasm and gets thing done in super-American style. Unless one is among that few who are said to “think internationally,” it is almost impossible, back there is America, to realize the magnitude of this noiseless engine for general accomplishment, this American expeditionary force, which is working 24 hours a day “over there.” Those magic letter “A.E.F.” mean a world, a literal world, a buzzing hive of activity.
I am proud to have had a hand in this “big game” for democracy. We are proud of our country—The land of the free and the home of the brave. We are proud of our president upon whom the civilized nations of the world have centered their eyes. The heart of the French people is bursting with gratitude at the altruism of America in the fight for humanity and justice and cherishes the Stars and Stripes as the emblem of freedom.
Every civilized nation rejoiced at the firmness displayed by our president in his last peace policy, and heartily endorsed his reason for severity of his decision, which decision, echoes a death knell in the ears of those who have drenched the world in the blood of millions and inflicted untold suffering upon the nations.
We came over here with nothing else on our minds but victory. We are over here to free these people from the awful yoke of tyranny that they have been wearing for many years. We are possessed with that feeling of loyalty, pride and enthusiasm, first and especially for our own country, and we are trying to uphold the prestige, the honor and tradition of our country by adding something therto through the individual acts of our own.
The war is over physically speaking, I must say, but intellectually, morally, religiously and economically the “end is not yet.” The future consists of many problems that we did not have before the war. These problems demand the concentrated mental effort of every individual brain. The emotional reaction of joy that succeeded the birth of peace will take precedence over everything else. You can visualize a condition of chaos that will laugh in the face of serious thought and be quite unable to appreciate the fact that nothing short of collective intelligence and collective thinking will issue a safe solution to these problems.
The future needs thought just as the human body needs food. It needs human understanding. There must be a general high standard living and social security which might leave man free to become aware of his higher mental self. I believe there would be no limit to the possibilities of the future if humanity would awaken to the necessity of creating a condition of human life which would bless the children of tomorrow and justify the sacrifice and sorrow of today.
Right here I wish to speak to the work of the American Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. are doing for us. Never before have I been able to appreciate the great work of these societies as now. The Y. M. C. A. has made a strong impression on all of us. It goes from the camp to the base, and from the base to the trenches, carrying with it sweet memories of home and church. I have sat in silent awe amidst the worshippers in some of the old cathedrals here in France; I have mingled in vast crowds moved by the fiery eloquence of a Booker, or of a Simmons there in America, and was all inspiring so likewise do we get great encouragement and inspiration in some of the meetings that we have here at the “Y.” They set our minds wandering out toward far and beautiful horizons aflame with the glory of a new and better age.
Please have the convention number of the Vanguard sent to me. I would be glad if you have a few back copies sent, also, as far back as July. I will appreciate them very much. If these papers are tightly wrapped and mailed to the address given I will get them all right.
Kindly tender my greetings to the school.
Yours very truly,
Pvt. U. S. Parr,
Headquarters 335th Labor Ba.,
American E. F.
NOTES: Ulysses Simpson Parr was writing to Joseph A. Booker, president of Arkansas Baptist college. Parr was a graduate of the college and had been secretary to Dr. Booker. He was born on March 4, 1887/8 in Camden, Arkansas and died on April 15, 1968 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was described as being of medium height build with black eyes and hair. Parr was an African American soldier.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT