TRANSCRIBED FROM THE VAN BUREN COUNTY DEMOCRAT MAY 31, 1918 P. 1
I’m sitting here and thinking of the things I left behind and writing down the things that are running through my mind. We’ve dug five miles of ground and if there’s a meaner place this side of hell it sure is still unfound. But there is one consolation – gather closer while I tell; when we die we’re bound for heaven, for we’ve done our hitch in hell. We’ve built a hundred kitchens for the cooks to stew our beans, we’ve stood a thousand guard mounts and cleaned the camp latrines, we’ve washed a thousand dishes and peeled a thousand spuds, we’ve rolled a million blankets rolls and washed as many duds. The number of parades we’ve stood would be hard to tell, but we’ll not parade in heaven boys, for we’ve done our hitch in hell. We’ve killed a thousand rattlesnakes that tried to steal our cats and shook a million mosquitoes out of our army sacks. We’ve marched a hundred thousand miles and made ten thousand camps and we’ve pulled a million thorns out of our army pants. But when our mission is ended our friends will gently tell, “When they died they went to heaven for they had their hitch in hell.” When the final taps are sounded we’ll parade the golden stair, then we’ll hear Saint Peter tell us with a yell, “Take a front seat in heaven, boys, for you’ve had your hitch in hell.”
Now for France.
E. FLOYD TOMLINSON
Co. H. 153 Inf.
Camp Beauregard, La.
NOTES: Elijah Floyd Tomlinson was born on November 22, 1893 in St. Francis in Clay County, Arkansas and died on January 19, 1982. His military headstone identifies him as a PFC serving in World War !. He is buried in the Colony Cemetery in Van Buren County, Arkansas. He enlisted on September 19, 1917 and was discharged on August 30, 1919. He departed Hoboken, NJ on June 7, 1918 onboard the Manchuria. He was serving as a Pvt. in Co. 3 Camp Beauregard June Automatic Replacement Draft Infantry. He departed Brest, France on August 11, 1919 onboard the Louisville. He was serving as a Pvt. in Co. K 38th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD
I’m sitting here and thinking of the things I left behind and writing down the things that are running through my mind. We’ve dug five miles of ground and if there’s a meaner place this side of hell it sure is still unfound. But there is one consolation – gather closer while I tell; when we die we’re bound for heaven, for we’ve done our hitch in hell. We’ve built a hundred kitchens for the cooks to stew our beans, we’ve stood a thousand guard mounts and cleaned the camp latrines, we’ve washed a thousand dishes and peeled a thousand spuds, we’ve rolled a million blankets rolls and washed as many duds. The number of parades we’ve stood would be hard to tell, but we’ll not parade in heaven boys, for we’ve done our hitch in hell. We’ve killed a thousand rattlesnakes that tried to steal our cats and shook a million mosquitoes out of our army sacks. We’ve marched a hundred thousand miles and made ten thousand camps and we’ve pulled a million thorns out of our army pants. But when our mission is ended our friends will gently tell, “When they died they went to heaven for they had their hitch in hell.” When the final taps are sounded we’ll parade the golden stair, then we’ll hear Saint Peter tell us with a yell, “Take a front seat in heaven, boys, for you’ve had your hitch in hell.”
Now for France.
E. FLOYD TOMLINSON
Co. H. 153 Inf.
Camp Beauregard, La.
NOTES: Elijah Floyd Tomlinson was born on November 22, 1893 in St. Francis in Clay County, Arkansas and died on January 19, 1982. His military headstone identifies him as a PFC serving in World War !. He is buried in the Colony Cemetery in Van Buren County, Arkansas. He enlisted on September 19, 1917 and was discharged on August 30, 1919. He departed Hoboken, NJ on June 7, 1918 onboard the Manchuria. He was serving as a Pvt. in Co. 3 Camp Beauregard June Automatic Replacement Draft Infantry. He departed Brest, France on August 11, 1919 onboard the Louisville. He was serving as a Pvt. in Co. K 38th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD