TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DEQUEEN BEE FEBRUARY 28, 1919 P. 2
Commercy, France, Jan. 24, ’19,
Dear Papa:
Received your letter, also Leila’s and Mildred’s. was glad to know all are well.
I am having the very best of health, though a bit home sick. Since Base Hospital No. 91 took charge of hospital here I have been doing ward work twelve hours a day, seven days per week, though I was given last Sunday afternoon off for sight seeing.
I visited what used to be No Man’s Land out near St. Mihiel. I saw shell holes, trenches, barb wire entanglements and dugouts just like those you read about. With a lit candle I went down into a number of German dugouts, one, two and three stories under ground. This was pretty dangerous business, as I saw a number of unexploded shells and piles and boxes full of hand grenades. Every building in St. Mihiel has been hit by shell and some blown completely to pieces. St. Mihiel, just to describe its site on the Meuse river—If you were ever on Rolling Fork near the Enoch place, just imagine that high rock bluff being a net work of trenches and dugouts in possession of the attacking army, and the little city of St. Mihiel just across the river in that old field. I climbed this rock bluff which overlooks St. Mihiel and Meuse river. This affords the very best position for shelling this town. Am sure most of the shelling was done from this hill. On the way back from St. Mihiel I saw a great heap of stone and splintered timbers that used to be the little city of Apremont. It had had the shelling of the Germans in capturing and the shelling of Americans and French in recapturing, and now not one building is standing.
You asked me something about when I thought I would be discharged, as if I had any idea. There is some talk of sending our unit into Germany after leaving this place. Of course, you know, a private in the army is never to have any authoritive information.
I had rather go most any other place than Germany, though one has no choice in the army. If they say go, you just go along and learn to like it.
Tell Mr. Cooper I thank him for his offer of re-employment and his proposed raise of my salary, although it seems it may be a long long time before I am released from army service, if we are to go into Germany.
I will locate George Irwin if possible. Would be glad to meet some one I know over here.
Haven’t even seen one from near home. Hoping to be home in a few months.
Your son,
Fred E. Poole
NOTES: Frederick Elmore Poole was born on January 18, 1893 in Lockesburg, Arkansas and died on May 25, 1978. He is buried in the Redmen Cemetery in De Queen, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a PFC serving in the US Army during World War 1. He was writing to his father Theodore Poole. Prior to the war he was employed as a clerk in Cooper Brothers store in De Queen. He departed New York, Ny on November 10, 1918 onboard the Mauretania. He was listed as a Private serving in Base Hospital #91 Medical Department. He departed Brest, France on July 22, 1919 on board the Pocahontas and arrived in Hoboken, NJ on August 1, 1919. He was listed as a Private serving in Base Hospital #91. His record indicates he enlisted on April 26, 1918 and was discharged on August 16, 1918. (This should be 1919)
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Commercy, France, Jan. 24, ’19,
Dear Papa:
Received your letter, also Leila’s and Mildred’s. was glad to know all are well.
I am having the very best of health, though a bit home sick. Since Base Hospital No. 91 took charge of hospital here I have been doing ward work twelve hours a day, seven days per week, though I was given last Sunday afternoon off for sight seeing.
I visited what used to be No Man’s Land out near St. Mihiel. I saw shell holes, trenches, barb wire entanglements and dugouts just like those you read about. With a lit candle I went down into a number of German dugouts, one, two and three stories under ground. This was pretty dangerous business, as I saw a number of unexploded shells and piles and boxes full of hand grenades. Every building in St. Mihiel has been hit by shell and some blown completely to pieces. St. Mihiel, just to describe its site on the Meuse river—If you were ever on Rolling Fork near the Enoch place, just imagine that high rock bluff being a net work of trenches and dugouts in possession of the attacking army, and the little city of St. Mihiel just across the river in that old field. I climbed this rock bluff which overlooks St. Mihiel and Meuse river. This affords the very best position for shelling this town. Am sure most of the shelling was done from this hill. On the way back from St. Mihiel I saw a great heap of stone and splintered timbers that used to be the little city of Apremont. It had had the shelling of the Germans in capturing and the shelling of Americans and French in recapturing, and now not one building is standing.
You asked me something about when I thought I would be discharged, as if I had any idea. There is some talk of sending our unit into Germany after leaving this place. Of course, you know, a private in the army is never to have any authoritive information.
I had rather go most any other place than Germany, though one has no choice in the army. If they say go, you just go along and learn to like it.
Tell Mr. Cooper I thank him for his offer of re-employment and his proposed raise of my salary, although it seems it may be a long long time before I am released from army service, if we are to go into Germany.
I will locate George Irwin if possible. Would be glad to meet some one I know over here.
Haven’t even seen one from near home. Hoping to be home in a few months.
Your son,
Fred E. Poole
NOTES: Frederick Elmore Poole was born on January 18, 1893 in Lockesburg, Arkansas and died on May 25, 1978. He is buried in the Redmen Cemetery in De Queen, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a PFC serving in the US Army during World War 1. He was writing to his father Theodore Poole. Prior to the war he was employed as a clerk in Cooper Brothers store in De Queen. He departed New York, Ny on November 10, 1918 onboard the Mauretania. He was listed as a Private serving in Base Hospital #91 Medical Department. He departed Brest, France on July 22, 1919 on board the Pocahontas and arrived in Hoboken, NJ on August 1, 1919. He was listed as a Private serving in Base Hospital #91. His record indicates he enlisted on April 26, 1918 and was discharged on August 16, 1918. (This should be 1919)
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON