TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HOT SPRINGS NEW ERA FEBRUARY 6, 1919 P. 3
Dec 24, 1918
Miss Lois Fisher.
I will answer your sweet little letter I received a few days ago and sure was glad to hear from you. This leaves me all O.K. Hope this will find you the same. I am having a good time, and preparing for a big Christmas dinner tomorrow. Would like to be home for Christmas, but see no chance. I sure wish that soldier boy you saw and thought was me had been really me, for I sure wish to be home, as I have seen all this county I want to see. I am in some big town in Germany now. The German people are good to us. They all seem to like Americans, but they sure don’t like the French people. The German people are better to us than the French people are. They are glad we are over here. They say if we had come over here when the war first started it would have been over long ago. Well, I am thinking of coming home real soon, but it looks like it will be two or three months before I get to come back. But I sure hope it wont be that long for I am homesick. I guess everybody had a big time when peace was declared. It was sure some relief to us boys that were up on the front. I am with the 89th division, so when you see in the papers when the 89th is coming home you can look for me soon after we get across. Give your mamma and daddy my best regards and tell Mamma hello for me. So I will close with best wishes. So bye-bye. From a friend as ever.
Earl Ribelin
Co. D. 355 Inf A.E.F.
NOTES: Earl W. Ribelin served as a Pfc. Co. D. 355th Infantry. He was born on December 22, 1894 in Hot Springs, Arkansas and died on January 21, 1970. He is buried in the Hollywood Cemetery in Hot Springs. He was described as being tall and of medium build with brown eyes and hair. He departed for France from Hoboken, NJ on August 22, 1918 onboard the Rijndam. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in Co. L 155th Infantry. He departed Brest, France on May 15, 1919 and arrived in Hoboken on May 22. He traveled onboard the Leviathan and was listed as serving in Co. D. 355th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Dec 24, 1918
Miss Lois Fisher.
I will answer your sweet little letter I received a few days ago and sure was glad to hear from you. This leaves me all O.K. Hope this will find you the same. I am having a good time, and preparing for a big Christmas dinner tomorrow. Would like to be home for Christmas, but see no chance. I sure wish that soldier boy you saw and thought was me had been really me, for I sure wish to be home, as I have seen all this county I want to see. I am in some big town in Germany now. The German people are good to us. They all seem to like Americans, but they sure don’t like the French people. The German people are better to us than the French people are. They are glad we are over here. They say if we had come over here when the war first started it would have been over long ago. Well, I am thinking of coming home real soon, but it looks like it will be two or three months before I get to come back. But I sure hope it wont be that long for I am homesick. I guess everybody had a big time when peace was declared. It was sure some relief to us boys that were up on the front. I am with the 89th division, so when you see in the papers when the 89th is coming home you can look for me soon after we get across. Give your mamma and daddy my best regards and tell Mamma hello for me. So I will close with best wishes. So bye-bye. From a friend as ever.
Earl Ribelin
Co. D. 355 Inf A.E.F.
NOTES: Earl W. Ribelin served as a Pfc. Co. D. 355th Infantry. He was born on December 22, 1894 in Hot Springs, Arkansas and died on January 21, 1970. He is buried in the Hollywood Cemetery in Hot Springs. He was described as being tall and of medium build with brown eyes and hair. He departed for France from Hoboken, NJ on August 22, 1918 onboard the Rijndam. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in Co. L 155th Infantry. He departed Brest, France on May 15, 1919 and arrived in Hoboken on May 22. He traveled onboard the Leviathan and was listed as serving in Co. D. 355th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT