TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HOT SPRINGS NEW ERA MAY 27, 1918 P. 10
First I wish to state that the health conditions here are much improved and sanitary conditions here are great. The people at home could get a good idea of how they should keep their grounds around their homes and the public streets if they could see one of company streets. And we have one of the finest base hospitals that can be found with plenty of room and good doctors and nurses who see that you get everything that you nede. I feel that words of praise could never be given our government for the way they handle the boys at Camp Beauregard, La. And as to food conditions. I must say we get the best the money can buy and great care is taken in the line of preparing same. Schools for cooks is one of the big jobs that was started after the quarentine and has proven a great good to the health of our boys. But there are a few improvements needed to give our men the best there is, and that is a “dry Louisiana.” And the good people of Alexandria need a lot of praise for the splendid work they are doing for the boys, and last and the greatest work that fathers, mothers, sisters and sweethearts can do for the boys is with letters to the boys. “Keep the home fires burning” with a word each week from home, and for the good of our boys I wish to call your attention to a letter in the Gazette a few weeks ago where our great leader Major General Hodges, asked the governor to ask the good people of Arkansas to quit writing letters and messages to the boys trying to get them to come home. We have our work and must finish it or the war will be lost, and these letters of course a lot of the boys to get into trouble by going home without leave and I wish to bring this message to those at home to stop writing such letters but write letters of love, happiness and all the news that you can find for this is the one we need. I wish to call just one instance of this kind. One boy out of our company, who has never had any charges against him took distance and was caught in a little town in Louisiana and now faces a very serious charge at this time, just because his mother in every letter wrote “Oh how I want to sea you---try and come” until it forced him to break the law.
Sergt. Earl S. Vannedore
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Vannedore, who is from Hot Springs, Arkansas and is serving in the ambulance section of the 39th Division. In the introduction to the letter his name is spelled Vennedore. The correct spelling is Varnadore. Sgt. Earl Shannahan Varnadore was born on October 22, 1893 in Hot Springs, Arkansas and died on January 3, 1973 in Houston, Texas. He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Houston. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Sgt. US Army in World War 1.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
First I wish to state that the health conditions here are much improved and sanitary conditions here are great. The people at home could get a good idea of how they should keep their grounds around their homes and the public streets if they could see one of company streets. And we have one of the finest base hospitals that can be found with plenty of room and good doctors and nurses who see that you get everything that you nede. I feel that words of praise could never be given our government for the way they handle the boys at Camp Beauregard, La. And as to food conditions. I must say we get the best the money can buy and great care is taken in the line of preparing same. Schools for cooks is one of the big jobs that was started after the quarentine and has proven a great good to the health of our boys. But there are a few improvements needed to give our men the best there is, and that is a “dry Louisiana.” And the good people of Alexandria need a lot of praise for the splendid work they are doing for the boys, and last and the greatest work that fathers, mothers, sisters and sweethearts can do for the boys is with letters to the boys. “Keep the home fires burning” with a word each week from home, and for the good of our boys I wish to call your attention to a letter in the Gazette a few weeks ago where our great leader Major General Hodges, asked the governor to ask the good people of Arkansas to quit writing letters and messages to the boys trying to get them to come home. We have our work and must finish it or the war will be lost, and these letters of course a lot of the boys to get into trouble by going home without leave and I wish to bring this message to those at home to stop writing such letters but write letters of love, happiness and all the news that you can find for this is the one we need. I wish to call just one instance of this kind. One boy out of our company, who has never had any charges against him took distance and was caught in a little town in Louisiana and now faces a very serious charge at this time, just because his mother in every letter wrote “Oh how I want to sea you---try and come” until it forced him to break the law.
Sergt. Earl S. Vannedore
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Vannedore, who is from Hot Springs, Arkansas and is serving in the ambulance section of the 39th Division. In the introduction to the letter his name is spelled Vennedore. The correct spelling is Varnadore. Sgt. Earl Shannahan Varnadore was born on October 22, 1893 in Hot Springs, Arkansas and died on January 3, 1973 in Houston, Texas. He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Houston. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Sgt. US Army in World War 1.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON