TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS FEBRUARY 7, 1919 P. 1
Jurlich, Germany, Dec. 21, '18
My Dear Friend:
I received your letter this morning with the greatest of pleasure. Am glad to hear that you are in good health. Same is true of myself. I am as sound as when I left home. Excuse me for not answering your other letter which I received some time in October. I was at that time at the front. I was right in the danger when your letter was brought to me. The shells were bursting all around me, but with it all, I stopped and read your letter. Believe me, I could not keep from crying. The tears were falling out of my eyes like rain. That was on "Shanpgain Front," and a hard one all the way through. We were at that front ten days, that was ten days of hard fighting. I never thought I was going to come out of that fighting so safely, but I did, and cannot thank God enough for the blessing He has given me through all the great battles.
When we came out of "Shanpgain Front" we went back for a few days rest and a clean up. I was going to answer your letter once, but the Y.M.C.A. men were not with us at that time and I could not get any writing paper. A day after that I did get some paper, but they were talking about going back to fight right away so I did not feel like writing then, I thought of putting letter writing off until I came out of hhe next Front. A few days after we were back to the front and that was the last Front before Armistice was signed "Northwest Verdun Front.." I was on the line until the last minute and was in the trenches when the news came to quit fighting, that the Armistice was signed. Oh! What a day of joy that was for me and all the world!! After tht we went back to Beaumont France, for a few days and then we started for Germany, on Nov. 17th. We went through a good part of France, then through Belgium, Luxemburg and into Germany. We have been traveling in Germany ever since the first of December, so you see yourself that I did not have much time to write.
Well, I am not going to write much, for I am expecting to come home soon I will sure be free then and can tell more about the great war. I am sure anxious for the day to come when we can start back to dear home in the U.S.A. Oh! but every time I think of my poor brother Jack it makes my heart ache. Just think, we left home together, we have been in the same company all the time and we went to the front together. I felt like something was going to happen and it surely did. I was never allowed to tell where he got killed, but now I am. He lost his life in a town by the name of Thiancourt, right in the edge of the town. Three other boys lost their lives at the same time my dear brother did. Just one shell did all of that. If that shell had come one hour sooner we would have been killed together, but I happened to be on guard at that time. Oh my dear, that was a hard day for me! Two hours after Jack got killed we got orders to go back for rest. That sure did hurt me that much more. I had to leave him there so soon. I was so crazy I did not know what I was doing for a good while, but what can we do? I hope God rewarded him with heaven, which I am sure He did as he died for his country and for the freedom of the world.
Hope the Flu is better and that it will not get too bad. I would like to find everybody in perfect health when I return. I may be among you by Easter Sunday.
Please give my love to Papa and my brothers. Best wishes to all the girls and boys. Kindest regards to your mother, sisters and yourself.
I am your friend,
Adolfo Zulpo.
4th M. G. Ba. Co. R., 2nd Div. A. E. F., France
NOTES: Zulpo was writing to a friend in Tontitown, Arkansas. He and his brother Jack entered the service together. He was born in Racano, Italy on December 18, 1892. He departed New York on June 12, 1918 onboard the Carmania. He was listed as a Private serving in the 153rd Infantry, Co. G, Camp Beauregard June Automatic Replacement Draft Infantry. He returned from Brest, France on July 15 1919 onboard the Finland. He arrived n New York on August 4, 1919. He was serving in Co. B, 4th MGB, 2nd Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Jurlich, Germany, Dec. 21, '18
My Dear Friend:
I received your letter this morning with the greatest of pleasure. Am glad to hear that you are in good health. Same is true of myself. I am as sound as when I left home. Excuse me for not answering your other letter which I received some time in October. I was at that time at the front. I was right in the danger when your letter was brought to me. The shells were bursting all around me, but with it all, I stopped and read your letter. Believe me, I could not keep from crying. The tears were falling out of my eyes like rain. That was on "Shanpgain Front," and a hard one all the way through. We were at that front ten days, that was ten days of hard fighting. I never thought I was going to come out of that fighting so safely, but I did, and cannot thank God enough for the blessing He has given me through all the great battles.
When we came out of "Shanpgain Front" we went back for a few days rest and a clean up. I was going to answer your letter once, but the Y.M.C.A. men were not with us at that time and I could not get any writing paper. A day after that I did get some paper, but they were talking about going back to fight right away so I did not feel like writing then, I thought of putting letter writing off until I came out of hhe next Front. A few days after we were back to the front and that was the last Front before Armistice was signed "Northwest Verdun Front.." I was on the line until the last minute and was in the trenches when the news came to quit fighting, that the Armistice was signed. Oh! What a day of joy that was for me and all the world!! After tht we went back to Beaumont France, for a few days and then we started for Germany, on Nov. 17th. We went through a good part of France, then through Belgium, Luxemburg and into Germany. We have been traveling in Germany ever since the first of December, so you see yourself that I did not have much time to write.
Well, I am not going to write much, for I am expecting to come home soon I will sure be free then and can tell more about the great war. I am sure anxious for the day to come when we can start back to dear home in the U.S.A. Oh! but every time I think of my poor brother Jack it makes my heart ache. Just think, we left home together, we have been in the same company all the time and we went to the front together. I felt like something was going to happen and it surely did. I was never allowed to tell where he got killed, but now I am. He lost his life in a town by the name of Thiancourt, right in the edge of the town. Three other boys lost their lives at the same time my dear brother did. Just one shell did all of that. If that shell had come one hour sooner we would have been killed together, but I happened to be on guard at that time. Oh my dear, that was a hard day for me! Two hours after Jack got killed we got orders to go back for rest. That sure did hurt me that much more. I had to leave him there so soon. I was so crazy I did not know what I was doing for a good while, but what can we do? I hope God rewarded him with heaven, which I am sure He did as he died for his country and for the freedom of the world.
Hope the Flu is better and that it will not get too bad. I would like to find everybody in perfect health when I return. I may be among you by Easter Sunday.
Please give my love to Papa and my brothers. Best wishes to all the girls and boys. Kindest regards to your mother, sisters and yourself.
I am your friend,
Adolfo Zulpo.
4th M. G. Ba. Co. R., 2nd Div. A. E. F., France
NOTES: Zulpo was writing to a friend in Tontitown, Arkansas. He and his brother Jack entered the service together. He was born in Racano, Italy on December 18, 1892. He departed New York on June 12, 1918 onboard the Carmania. He was listed as a Private serving in the 153rd Infantry, Co. G, Camp Beauregard June Automatic Replacement Draft Infantry. He returned from Brest, France on July 15 1919 onboard the Finland. He arrived n New York on August 4, 1919. He was serving in Co. B, 4th MGB, 2nd Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD