TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BENTON COURIER MAY 1, 1919 P. 10
Grier, Germany, April,1919.
Dear Fowler:
I have again shifted positions, or rather changed spots, and am now in school at Treves (Grier) taking a commercial course in 7th corps school.
Little did I ever dream of ever being educated in Germany, but it is an actual reality and at the expense of the German government.
We have taken over a cafe, beer garden, tourist resorts that are set in a park upon the cliff overlooking the city, and one we use for a dining hall and the others for academic purposes.
The Germans walked out and left everything just like it was, so we have quite a modern kitchen and dining hall fully equipped even to china and silverware. The Germans still operate the bar in the dining hall, so we can have wine or beer served with every meal if we desire it, though we have to pay for that.
We have one hour of drill and five hours of school each day except Saturday and Sunday and have one hour for lectures given by some of the Y. men or ladies, so our school hours are both pleasant and profitable.
And now something about the interesting city of Grier. It is one of the oldest and most historically famous cities north of the Alps. According to a legend of the middle ages, Grier was founded 1300 years before Rome, by a son of the Assyrian king Ninus, but history states that Grier was founded by the Romans under Aregustus. It has a population of 50,000 and is in a lovely valley on the Moselle and is renowned for its mild climate. It possesses several large factories, chiefly leather factories, and it is the principal market for the celebrated "Moselle's" and "Sarre" wines which are sold here at several yearly auctions. It also possesses all the establishments and institutions that may be sought in a town of its rank.
The Roman Emperors enriched the town with magnificent edifices, an imperial palace, the forum, the basilica, or law court. The second largest amphitheater in the world, capable of accommodating 50,000 people, and a Roman bath, all adorned with a profusion of Italian, Grecian and African marble, and stone or glass mosaic.
There are also interesting remains of medieval architecture such as domes and churches, and there are several magnificent pieces of sixteenth century sculpture still in preserved state, to be found in the churches, and among the curiosities I will mention first old "Porta Nigra," or northern gate of the old city. It is supposed to have been built in the third century. It is build of huge blocks of red sand stone laid without mortar, and it consists of two four-storied towers in semicircles with a gateway through the center.
Then there are the ruins of the old baths, now called the old imperial palace. Its masonry is also of the third or fourth century.
And next, a word about the amphitheater. There is very little of it left, but it gives a complete idea of what the old Roman circus was like, and in the year 313 Emperor Constantine let the captive beasts kill several thousand German prisoners at this theater before fifty thousand spectators. Have the Germans been trying to be avenged this late in the day for that terrible slaughter?
And lastly I will say that we cross the river on a bridge that rests upon the original piers of bridge that Caesar built about seventy years after Christ.
And there are many castles, towers, and various piles of masonry in the near-by country that we find very interesting to study. Taken as a whole, the landscape around Trier is undoubtedly lovely; the soft profile of the mountains on both sides, on which all tints of green alternate with the red sandstone rocks; the river and its many windings, and in the middle the town with its towers and steeples all of it composes a panorama which will remain unforgotten in the minds of the boys of the Army of Occupation.
But after all it is a glimpse of the only true home of the doughboy; the home of the brave and the free that we want to see. Be it a park, boulevard or corn field, and a gallon of old Saline's clear water, is worth far more to us than all the water that flows down the German Moselle in a week--if we could only get back to it.
The Y., K.C. and Red Cross are doing a wonderful work here in providing amusements of many different kinds during the week, and a place for worship on Sunday.
The Y. is located in a large building--Ferst Halle, or Treviers. It is a beautiful place and well equipped for the work we use it. Large theater auditorium with $9,000 pipe organ, reading and writing rooms, sun parlors and plenty of space where the boys can sit at tables and be served hot chocolate and cakes for the small cost of one-half mark, five cents, or free if you happen to be broke.
They provide German orchestras that make music every night in the writing rooms, and the Red Cross gives dances about three times a week in which the Red Cross and Y girls are the most important factors. So taking it all together the spirit of the boys is about maintained at par while waiting to go home. When will it be? There's some tired "Dixie" ambulance drivers, longing for a peaceful land.
Will close this with a few little verses of one of the many army poets:
Spirit of Washington look down
Upon this ancient German town
And see the flag you loved fly free
Upon the spire of monarchy.
Where "Porta Nigra's" olden gate
Still stands in sombre ruinous state
The officers of the U.S.A.
Go briskly to and fro each day.
And soldiers, thousands of them walk
These ancient streets, and try to talk
The German language with a "Qui"
Experiments of ---------- Democracy.
So far from home, great spirit guide
Our every step, that we with pride
May go back soon with laurels won
And hear our loved ones say "well done!"
Yours,
Pvt. James P. Simms.
Ambulance Co. 154 7th Corps, Sam. Trn. A. P. O. 792, A.E.F.
NOTES: The newspaper misspelled his name, should be Sims. James P. Sims was born on October 24, 1889 and died on January 5, 1952. He is buried in the Old Rosemont Cemetery n Benton, Arkansas. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 22, 1918 onboard the Toloa. He was serving as a Private in Ambulance Co. 154th Sanitary Train. He departed Brest, France on June 21. 1919 onboard the Finland. He arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on June 30, 1919. He was serving as a Private in Ambulance Co. 54 7th Corps Sanitary Train.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Grier, Germany, April,1919.
Dear Fowler:
I have again shifted positions, or rather changed spots, and am now in school at Treves (Grier) taking a commercial course in 7th corps school.
Little did I ever dream of ever being educated in Germany, but it is an actual reality and at the expense of the German government.
We have taken over a cafe, beer garden, tourist resorts that are set in a park upon the cliff overlooking the city, and one we use for a dining hall and the others for academic purposes.
The Germans walked out and left everything just like it was, so we have quite a modern kitchen and dining hall fully equipped even to china and silverware. The Germans still operate the bar in the dining hall, so we can have wine or beer served with every meal if we desire it, though we have to pay for that.
We have one hour of drill and five hours of school each day except Saturday and Sunday and have one hour for lectures given by some of the Y. men or ladies, so our school hours are both pleasant and profitable.
And now something about the interesting city of Grier. It is one of the oldest and most historically famous cities north of the Alps. According to a legend of the middle ages, Grier was founded 1300 years before Rome, by a son of the Assyrian king Ninus, but history states that Grier was founded by the Romans under Aregustus. It has a population of 50,000 and is in a lovely valley on the Moselle and is renowned for its mild climate. It possesses several large factories, chiefly leather factories, and it is the principal market for the celebrated "Moselle's" and "Sarre" wines which are sold here at several yearly auctions. It also possesses all the establishments and institutions that may be sought in a town of its rank.
The Roman Emperors enriched the town with magnificent edifices, an imperial palace, the forum, the basilica, or law court. The second largest amphitheater in the world, capable of accommodating 50,000 people, and a Roman bath, all adorned with a profusion of Italian, Grecian and African marble, and stone or glass mosaic.
There are also interesting remains of medieval architecture such as domes and churches, and there are several magnificent pieces of sixteenth century sculpture still in preserved state, to be found in the churches, and among the curiosities I will mention first old "Porta Nigra," or northern gate of the old city. It is supposed to have been built in the third century. It is build of huge blocks of red sand stone laid without mortar, and it consists of two four-storied towers in semicircles with a gateway through the center.
Then there are the ruins of the old baths, now called the old imperial palace. Its masonry is also of the third or fourth century.
And next, a word about the amphitheater. There is very little of it left, but it gives a complete idea of what the old Roman circus was like, and in the year 313 Emperor Constantine let the captive beasts kill several thousand German prisoners at this theater before fifty thousand spectators. Have the Germans been trying to be avenged this late in the day for that terrible slaughter?
And lastly I will say that we cross the river on a bridge that rests upon the original piers of bridge that Caesar built about seventy years after Christ.
And there are many castles, towers, and various piles of masonry in the near-by country that we find very interesting to study. Taken as a whole, the landscape around Trier is undoubtedly lovely; the soft profile of the mountains on both sides, on which all tints of green alternate with the red sandstone rocks; the river and its many windings, and in the middle the town with its towers and steeples all of it composes a panorama which will remain unforgotten in the minds of the boys of the Army of Occupation.
But after all it is a glimpse of the only true home of the doughboy; the home of the brave and the free that we want to see. Be it a park, boulevard or corn field, and a gallon of old Saline's clear water, is worth far more to us than all the water that flows down the German Moselle in a week--if we could only get back to it.
The Y., K.C. and Red Cross are doing a wonderful work here in providing amusements of many different kinds during the week, and a place for worship on Sunday.
The Y. is located in a large building--Ferst Halle, or Treviers. It is a beautiful place and well equipped for the work we use it. Large theater auditorium with $9,000 pipe organ, reading and writing rooms, sun parlors and plenty of space where the boys can sit at tables and be served hot chocolate and cakes for the small cost of one-half mark, five cents, or free if you happen to be broke.
They provide German orchestras that make music every night in the writing rooms, and the Red Cross gives dances about three times a week in which the Red Cross and Y girls are the most important factors. So taking it all together the spirit of the boys is about maintained at par while waiting to go home. When will it be? There's some tired "Dixie" ambulance drivers, longing for a peaceful land.
Will close this with a few little verses of one of the many army poets:
Spirit of Washington look down
Upon this ancient German town
And see the flag you loved fly free
Upon the spire of monarchy.
Where "Porta Nigra's" olden gate
Still stands in sombre ruinous state
The officers of the U.S.A.
Go briskly to and fro each day.
And soldiers, thousands of them walk
These ancient streets, and try to talk
The German language with a "Qui"
Experiments of ---------- Democracy.
So far from home, great spirit guide
Our every step, that we with pride
May go back soon with laurels won
And hear our loved ones say "well done!"
Yours,
Pvt. James P. Simms.
Ambulance Co. 154 7th Corps, Sam. Trn. A. P. O. 792, A.E.F.
NOTES: The newspaper misspelled his name, should be Sims. James P. Sims was born on October 24, 1889 and died on January 5, 1952. He is buried in the Old Rosemont Cemetery n Benton, Arkansas. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 22, 1918 onboard the Toloa. He was serving as a Private in Ambulance Co. 154th Sanitary Train. He departed Brest, France on June 21. 1919 onboard the Finland. He arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on June 30, 1919. He was serving as a Private in Ambulance Co. 54 7th Corps Sanitary Train.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD