TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS DECEMBER 20, 1918 P. 3
Camp Pike, Ark., Dec. 8, 1918
Dear friends:
I will now answer your letter that I just now read with the greatest of pleasure as it is very interesting to me to get letters from near home and learn what is going on in the surrounding community. You spoke about it raining up there, it has been raining here for a week.
I appreciated your invitation to come over to breakfast as I certainly would enjoy eating that fryer.
There were twenty-four boys classified out of my company for non commissioned officers and I happened to be one of them, so I don't know what they are going to do with us. I don't care to stay here long if I can help it, but a fellow never gets any honor or a higher position if he doesn't look out for himself and try to do his part. There is a severe record kept of all boys, that follows them up wherever they go and their record goes on their discharge when they are discharged from the army, so I want to have my record clean when I get out of here.
Lots of boys get into trouble and are fined and put in the guardhouse and that all goes on their record. Some of them go home without permission, three out of my company had run off and gone home, came back today, they were put in the guardhouse.
Our company took out $14,000 in bonds in the last loan.
The army life isn't as hard as some people think, as long as a fellow tries to do right and obeys orders. The army life is mostly what a fellow is mind to make it and what he allows himself to be engaged in while on duty. There is anything you can mention for a fellow to entertain himself with when not at work and of course a fellow takes up everything that comes along. I find that one can live just as clean a christian life here as at home, if he as enough manhood to do so. About all I attend is the movies or something given at the Y.M.C.A. They have right nice singing and Bible study every Sunday morning.
I hope the flu epidemic is not raging so much there now, for it as well as the war has taken many a loved one from us. I think I will be home by Christmas which will be a happy return to my folks. But there will be many a home that will never have the pleasure of seeing their loved ones again.
We had a real nice Thanksgiving dinner but still I did not enjoy it like I would if I had been home with friends and loved ones. Well it is getting late and this is my third attempt to write this letter as I had to go to supper, and was called out to retreat and to get the mail since I began this letter.
With good luck and best wishes.
Your friends,
Geo. Stockburger.
Co. I 9th Tr. Bn. 3rd. Group.
Camp. Pike. Arkansas.
NOTES: George Edward Stockburger was born in West Fork, Arkansas on October 20, 1892 and died on November 9, 1956. He is buried in the West Fork Cemetery in West Fork, Arkansas. He was writing to friends Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Boas of near Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Camp Pike, Ark., Dec. 8, 1918
Dear friends:
I will now answer your letter that I just now read with the greatest of pleasure as it is very interesting to me to get letters from near home and learn what is going on in the surrounding community. You spoke about it raining up there, it has been raining here for a week.
I appreciated your invitation to come over to breakfast as I certainly would enjoy eating that fryer.
There were twenty-four boys classified out of my company for non commissioned officers and I happened to be one of them, so I don't know what they are going to do with us. I don't care to stay here long if I can help it, but a fellow never gets any honor or a higher position if he doesn't look out for himself and try to do his part. There is a severe record kept of all boys, that follows them up wherever they go and their record goes on their discharge when they are discharged from the army, so I want to have my record clean when I get out of here.
Lots of boys get into trouble and are fined and put in the guardhouse and that all goes on their record. Some of them go home without permission, three out of my company had run off and gone home, came back today, they were put in the guardhouse.
Our company took out $14,000 in bonds in the last loan.
The army life isn't as hard as some people think, as long as a fellow tries to do right and obeys orders. The army life is mostly what a fellow is mind to make it and what he allows himself to be engaged in while on duty. There is anything you can mention for a fellow to entertain himself with when not at work and of course a fellow takes up everything that comes along. I find that one can live just as clean a christian life here as at home, if he as enough manhood to do so. About all I attend is the movies or something given at the Y.M.C.A. They have right nice singing and Bible study every Sunday morning.
I hope the flu epidemic is not raging so much there now, for it as well as the war has taken many a loved one from us. I think I will be home by Christmas which will be a happy return to my folks. But there will be many a home that will never have the pleasure of seeing their loved ones again.
We had a real nice Thanksgiving dinner but still I did not enjoy it like I would if I had been home with friends and loved ones. Well it is getting late and this is my third attempt to write this letter as I had to go to supper, and was called out to retreat and to get the mail since I began this letter.
With good luck and best wishes.
Your friends,
Geo. Stockburger.
Co. I 9th Tr. Bn. 3rd. Group.
Camp. Pike. Arkansas.
NOTES: George Edward Stockburger was born in West Fork, Arkansas on October 20, 1892 and died on November 9, 1956. He is buried in the West Fork Cemetery in West Fork, Arkansas. He was writing to friends Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Boas of near Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD