TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MENA WEEKLY STAR OCTOBER 11, 1917 P. 8
Ft. Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah
October 1, 1917.
The Mena Star, Mena, Ark.
Dear Friends:
As today is set aside by the Army Y. M. C. A. as “newspaper day,” every soldier is requested to write his home newspaper a letter.
The Twentieth Infantry is located at Fort Douglas a very beautiful place just on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. We have very comfortable brick barracks, surrounded by excellent drill grounds.
The people in town treat a soldier as if they had known him all their lives. Whenever we wish to go to any special baseball game, show, or in fact anything that comes to town that is of any consequence, tickets are furnished us and we are taken in autos. This attitude on the part of the people keeps a lot of the boys from getting homesick, and is very much different than that shown us at Fort Bliss, Tex., where we could go to town every night for a week and never be spoken to by a civilian.
We have a fine Y. M. C. A. here that furnishes us an excellent program every evening. They are also teaching us French for an hour every evening.
I am being transferred to the Aviation Corps. and will probably be sent to Long Island, Calif., in a very short time. I do hope so, as rumors are that we will be sent to Texas again and I certainly don’t want to soldier there any more.
We sure have an angry bunch of Rookies around here tonight, as they had to take the Typhus Prophylaxis this morning and are confined to quarters on sick list until noon tomorrow. There were only eight of us that didn’t have to take it and we got it in April at Fort Bliss.
I am more than willing to say that when the war is over I for one, will be perfectly satisfied with Arkansas and old Polk county. A fellow doesn’t know how to appreciate a good home until he is away from it a while.
I hope that I am not transgressing on your good nature when I ask you to print this, but as it is the request of the Y. M. C. A. here that we do write, I do not hesitate about asking you to do me the favor.
Hoping that you are enjoying the prosperity that is rightfully yours.
I am very truly yours,
Corporal George E. Rork
Co. L. 20th Infantry,
Fort Douglas, Utah.
NOTES: George Edward Rork was born on November 4, 1898 and died on September 16, 1983. He is buried in the Glendale Cemetery at Des Moines, Iowa. His military headstone identifies him as a soldier serving in the US ARMY, WORLD WAR I.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.
Ft. Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah
October 1, 1917.
The Mena Star, Mena, Ark.
Dear Friends:
As today is set aside by the Army Y. M. C. A. as “newspaper day,” every soldier is requested to write his home newspaper a letter.
The Twentieth Infantry is located at Fort Douglas a very beautiful place just on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. We have very comfortable brick barracks, surrounded by excellent drill grounds.
The people in town treat a soldier as if they had known him all their lives. Whenever we wish to go to any special baseball game, show, or in fact anything that comes to town that is of any consequence, tickets are furnished us and we are taken in autos. This attitude on the part of the people keeps a lot of the boys from getting homesick, and is very much different than that shown us at Fort Bliss, Tex., where we could go to town every night for a week and never be spoken to by a civilian.
We have a fine Y. M. C. A. here that furnishes us an excellent program every evening. They are also teaching us French for an hour every evening.
I am being transferred to the Aviation Corps. and will probably be sent to Long Island, Calif., in a very short time. I do hope so, as rumors are that we will be sent to Texas again and I certainly don’t want to soldier there any more.
We sure have an angry bunch of Rookies around here tonight, as they had to take the Typhus Prophylaxis this morning and are confined to quarters on sick list until noon tomorrow. There were only eight of us that didn’t have to take it and we got it in April at Fort Bliss.
I am more than willing to say that when the war is over I for one, will be perfectly satisfied with Arkansas and old Polk county. A fellow doesn’t know how to appreciate a good home until he is away from it a while.
I hope that I am not transgressing on your good nature when I ask you to print this, but as it is the request of the Y. M. C. A. here that we do write, I do not hesitate about asking you to do me the favor.
Hoping that you are enjoying the prosperity that is rightfully yours.
I am very truly yours,
Corporal George E. Rork
Co. L. 20th Infantry,
Fort Douglas, Utah.
NOTES: George Edward Rork was born on November 4, 1898 and died on September 16, 1983. He is buried in the Glendale Cemetery at Des Moines, Iowa. His military headstone identifies him as a soldier serving in the US ARMY, WORLD WAR I.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.