TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE MARCH 1, 1919, P. 8
Received your letters, the oldest date being November 16. We were up to St. Nazaire last evening, and had eggs for dinner there. They certainly were a treat and the soldiers will give almost any price for them. I am looking forward to my trip to Paris. We are allowed to go on passes. Paris is a large place, but you want to go to the small towns to see the sights.
One of our bunch is on his way home, he will drop in and tell you about the trip across. I will have my first gold stripes the sixth of this month.
You asked me about the French girls. They are pretty. Some of them are dreams, but give me the U. S. A. girls. I have been on the go all the time. I have been to some beautiful little towns. These towns are altogether different than our cities. All the buildings are built of stone and built to last a long time. The people here lives in their stores.
I have been up to Le Mans, a city dating back to the second and third centuries. The Romans and Gauls lived there during that period. Later it was the scene of the religious wars between the Huguenots and the Catholics. Later they had many civil wars, then followed the Hundred Years war. The Germans occupied this town for three months during the war of 1870. During the recent war this town carried for many Belgium refugees. A lot of the men there have adopted little Belgian children who have no father or mother. There is a beautiful cathedral there that took 400 years to build. Also visited the queen’s castle while there.
The people here are divided into three classes, the poorest people are in the third class. Most of the people wear wooden shoes. They beg the American soldiers for souvenirs of America. They all want to go to America. All the French people think that everybody in the United States is rich. American soldiers make more than the French officers.
The French are strong for bicycles and one horse wagons.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Corp. Robert E. Payne to his mother Mrs. O. E. (Sarah) Payne of Little Rock. He was stationed at Ordnance Depot #1. He was born November 1, 1888. He died October 14, 1945 and is buried at the Little Rock National Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas. His military tombstone identifies him as a Corp. in the 154 Inf. 39 Div.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Received your letters, the oldest date being November 16. We were up to St. Nazaire last evening, and had eggs for dinner there. They certainly were a treat and the soldiers will give almost any price for them. I am looking forward to my trip to Paris. We are allowed to go on passes. Paris is a large place, but you want to go to the small towns to see the sights.
One of our bunch is on his way home, he will drop in and tell you about the trip across. I will have my first gold stripes the sixth of this month.
You asked me about the French girls. They are pretty. Some of them are dreams, but give me the U. S. A. girls. I have been on the go all the time. I have been to some beautiful little towns. These towns are altogether different than our cities. All the buildings are built of stone and built to last a long time. The people here lives in their stores.
I have been up to Le Mans, a city dating back to the second and third centuries. The Romans and Gauls lived there during that period. Later it was the scene of the religious wars between the Huguenots and the Catholics. Later they had many civil wars, then followed the Hundred Years war. The Germans occupied this town for three months during the war of 1870. During the recent war this town carried for many Belgium refugees. A lot of the men there have adopted little Belgian children who have no father or mother. There is a beautiful cathedral there that took 400 years to build. Also visited the queen’s castle while there.
The people here are divided into three classes, the poorest people are in the third class. Most of the people wear wooden shoes. They beg the American soldiers for souvenirs of America. They all want to go to America. All the French people think that everybody in the United States is rich. American soldiers make more than the French officers.
The French are strong for bicycles and one horse wagons.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Corp. Robert E. Payne to his mother Mrs. O. E. (Sarah) Payne of Little Rock. He was stationed at Ordnance Depot #1. He was born November 1, 1888. He died October 14, 1945 and is buried at the Little Rock National Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas. His military tombstone identifies him as a Corp. in the 154 Inf. 39 Div.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT