TRANSCRIBED FROM THE VAN BUREN PRESS-ARGUS, MARCH 5, 1918 P. 1
It will only be a matter of time until we are sent across, and after arriving in France we will, of course undergo lots of hard training before we are sent to the front. I am anxiously awaiting my turn. It might as well be me as some other boy, and I am glad to take my chances and accept whatever may come.
It is going to nearly kill my dear old mother, but as I tell her, there will be millions of others placed just where she is. I write her every day, cheerful letters and tell her of the pleasant things and assure her that I _____ ______ ______ ______ _____
I have taken out $10,000 insurance for my mother’s benefit. I can carry it very easily, for it costs me very little to live this life. I do not drink or gamble and there is little use for money otherwise.
Letters from home are very welcome to the boy in uniform. The mail from the folks back home is what he looks forward to with eager pleasure. I tell you the women, in fact all of the folks back home, can do lots toward winning this war by simply writing their men folk that are with the colors encouraging and cheerful letters. Nothing helps more. To write him blue and despondent letters is an awful good way to kill his fighting pep.
I have never regretted enlisting and never will, just as, long as it is to fight for our common country. I think it is the duty of every American boy to enlist if he possibly can, for we are fighting for the greatest cause on earth, justice and liberty.
Lots of our American people think we are fighting only to save France. They do not realize that our country, our women and children, indeed our all, is at stake in this contest. Should we possibly loose, what would it mean to us?
But there isn’t a chance for America to loose. She is going to win in the end, and I believe before the year is gone. Let us hope so, anyway, for we want peace, but not without honor, even if it costs millions of our American boys.
NOTES: This partial letter was written from Paris Island, SC by McHarley Smith of Ozark, Arkansas to Sam R. Chew. Smith was born on July 23, 1893 and died on August 6, 1953. He is buried in the Fayetteville National Cemetery at Fayetteville, Arkansas. His headstone identifies him as a Pvt. US Marine Corp.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
It will only be a matter of time until we are sent across, and after arriving in France we will, of course undergo lots of hard training before we are sent to the front. I am anxiously awaiting my turn. It might as well be me as some other boy, and I am glad to take my chances and accept whatever may come.
It is going to nearly kill my dear old mother, but as I tell her, there will be millions of others placed just where she is. I write her every day, cheerful letters and tell her of the pleasant things and assure her that I _____ ______ ______ ______ _____
I have taken out $10,000 insurance for my mother’s benefit. I can carry it very easily, for it costs me very little to live this life. I do not drink or gamble and there is little use for money otherwise.
Letters from home are very welcome to the boy in uniform. The mail from the folks back home is what he looks forward to with eager pleasure. I tell you the women, in fact all of the folks back home, can do lots toward winning this war by simply writing their men folk that are with the colors encouraging and cheerful letters. Nothing helps more. To write him blue and despondent letters is an awful good way to kill his fighting pep.
I have never regretted enlisting and never will, just as, long as it is to fight for our common country. I think it is the duty of every American boy to enlist if he possibly can, for we are fighting for the greatest cause on earth, justice and liberty.
Lots of our American people think we are fighting only to save France. They do not realize that our country, our women and children, indeed our all, is at stake in this contest. Should we possibly loose, what would it mean to us?
But there isn’t a chance for America to loose. She is going to win in the end, and I believe before the year is gone. Let us hope so, anyway, for we want peace, but not without honor, even if it costs millions of our American boys.
NOTES: This partial letter was written from Paris Island, SC by McHarley Smith of Ozark, Arkansas to Sam R. Chew. Smith was born on July 23, 1893 and died on August 6, 1953. He is buried in the Fayetteville National Cemetery at Fayetteville, Arkansas. His headstone identifies him as a Pvt. US Marine Corp.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT