TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS NOVEMBER 29, 1918 P. 3
Oct. 17, 1918.
My Dear Friends:
Two if not more of your very interesting letters have been received in in the past months and as I promised I will this evening attempt to answer if it cost me thirty days in the pen for missing call or formation, but this is one evening I am sure of a few hours to to myself so I am going to spend it in "catching up" on my my mail list you come first.
I doubt whether you people realize it or not but to be an interesting letter writer, over here is to be an artist, that's exactly why I shirk the job, I am sorry to admit. Ordinarily when writing one has a store of events to relate we have them here by the thousands, I and the people of the states have no idea of their greatness big events which will open the eyes of the world still wider when all that old U.S.A. has accomplished in so short a time, is known, but we little fellows must be silent, not a peep must be heard so as I have estimated it's a question in our minds before a letter is started---what in the d------ will I say this time---so my thoughts go back to a letter I received from Mother some time ago, wherein she said your, "Your Hello! letter received" and I believe it to be a very appropriate name for my notes from "Over Here," just a hello letter.
Tomorrow (18th) will make four months of service for me in France. I am entitled to a seven day furlough (so are many others) but there is only one furlough that we are all looking forward to now and there's a bunch of mighty hungry boys, longing for the sight of old New York. The times coming--some consolation, Eh? Often my work takes me to one of the big U. S. docking yards and every hour one can hear the whistles on the big liners about the time a blast is heard some fool Yankee pipes out, "Hoboken" and then it's thoughts of "Home Sweet Home." Our outfit is a good many miles from the front and the distance becomes greater as the days pass, but the boys in the S.O.S. are driving too and it's no small part they play (perhaps you can get a copy of the Stars and Stripes, the official A.E.F. news, which I mailed to Jack, it will be of interest to you I am sure). I haven't seen a very large portion of France thus far, but have spent a few hours "seeing" while in several cities of France, I can't go into detail to describe some of the interesting sights which meet your eye, but it is well worth the price or hardships we underwent to see this land--Old Cathedrals, towers, forts, churches, bridges, etc, ages old. wonderful pieces of architecture and if only they could speak, the history they could tell. This little city of Periquenx--so old it is moldy--has several structures which date back to Christ's time and many built in the 5th and 6th centuries. An old watch tower over 100 feet high built during the reign of one of the Ceasars, stands in the midst of a beautiful garden now, an old Cathedral, in whose towers hundreds of swallows nest, date back to the 2nd century. It is known in French history as the Church of the Swallows. And one can't overlook the beautiful drives which have taken hundreds of years to build and the gardens--you should see some of these French gardens, you know these people are famous for their color schemes and to see some of their parks is to be convinced. Every little city has its museum--Why not--2000 years ought to make some showing and it does. Sculpture paintings and art of every age are here for you, it's a great sight. To read of these things is one thing, to see them is quite different. Last but by no means least, the French Maiden, by the hundreds, and oh! what "polley vooeing" you do hear! But the Yankee Girl is good enough for us.
My best regards,
Clyde G. Russom.
NOTES: Clyde Glenalvin Russom was born on September 7, 1895 and died on August 5, 1969. He is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Corp. serving in the US Army during WWI. He was writing to his friends Mr. and Mrs. Ira Graham. Russom departed the US on June 7, 1918 from Hoboken, NJ onboard the Aceolus. He was serving n Co. B, 52nd Engineers. He returned to the US departing Bordeaux, France on June 14, 1919 onboard the Dakotan. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. on June 25, 1919. He was serving as a Corp. in the Bordeaux Casual Co. No. 1525.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Oct. 17, 1918.
My Dear Friends:
Two if not more of your very interesting letters have been received in in the past months and as I promised I will this evening attempt to answer if it cost me thirty days in the pen for missing call or formation, but this is one evening I am sure of a few hours to to myself so I am going to spend it in "catching up" on my my mail list you come first.
I doubt whether you people realize it or not but to be an interesting letter writer, over here is to be an artist, that's exactly why I shirk the job, I am sorry to admit. Ordinarily when writing one has a store of events to relate we have them here by the thousands, I and the people of the states have no idea of their greatness big events which will open the eyes of the world still wider when all that old U.S.A. has accomplished in so short a time, is known, but we little fellows must be silent, not a peep must be heard so as I have estimated it's a question in our minds before a letter is started---what in the d------ will I say this time---so my thoughts go back to a letter I received from Mother some time ago, wherein she said your, "Your Hello! letter received" and I believe it to be a very appropriate name for my notes from "Over Here," just a hello letter.
Tomorrow (18th) will make four months of service for me in France. I am entitled to a seven day furlough (so are many others) but there is only one furlough that we are all looking forward to now and there's a bunch of mighty hungry boys, longing for the sight of old New York. The times coming--some consolation, Eh? Often my work takes me to one of the big U. S. docking yards and every hour one can hear the whistles on the big liners about the time a blast is heard some fool Yankee pipes out, "Hoboken" and then it's thoughts of "Home Sweet Home." Our outfit is a good many miles from the front and the distance becomes greater as the days pass, but the boys in the S.O.S. are driving too and it's no small part they play (perhaps you can get a copy of the Stars and Stripes, the official A.E.F. news, which I mailed to Jack, it will be of interest to you I am sure). I haven't seen a very large portion of France thus far, but have spent a few hours "seeing" while in several cities of France, I can't go into detail to describe some of the interesting sights which meet your eye, but it is well worth the price or hardships we underwent to see this land--Old Cathedrals, towers, forts, churches, bridges, etc, ages old. wonderful pieces of architecture and if only they could speak, the history they could tell. This little city of Periquenx--so old it is moldy--has several structures which date back to Christ's time and many built in the 5th and 6th centuries. An old watch tower over 100 feet high built during the reign of one of the Ceasars, stands in the midst of a beautiful garden now, an old Cathedral, in whose towers hundreds of swallows nest, date back to the 2nd century. It is known in French history as the Church of the Swallows. And one can't overlook the beautiful drives which have taken hundreds of years to build and the gardens--you should see some of these French gardens, you know these people are famous for their color schemes and to see some of their parks is to be convinced. Every little city has its museum--Why not--2000 years ought to make some showing and it does. Sculpture paintings and art of every age are here for you, it's a great sight. To read of these things is one thing, to see them is quite different. Last but by no means least, the French Maiden, by the hundreds, and oh! what "polley vooeing" you do hear! But the Yankee Girl is good enough for us.
My best regards,
Clyde G. Russom.
NOTES: Clyde Glenalvin Russom was born on September 7, 1895 and died on August 5, 1969. He is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Corp. serving in the US Army during WWI. He was writing to his friends Mr. and Mrs. Ira Graham. Russom departed the US on June 7, 1918 from Hoboken, NJ onboard the Aceolus. He was serving n Co. B, 52nd Engineers. He returned to the US departing Bordeaux, France on June 14, 1919 onboard the Dakotan. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. on June 25, 1919. He was serving as a Corp. in the Bordeaux Casual Co. No. 1525.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD