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October 17, 1918
Dear Charlie,
I am now going to inflict a letter upon you so dont get bored if I repeat a lot that I have told Mother and Laura. I recently wrote them both and in Laura's letter I put a very important coupon, that should be posted on the outside of a Xmas box for me. It should be mailed as soon as possible to me and dont forget to remind them that half the box should be Almond Bars. You can fill up the rest according to your ideas but dont send wearing apparel because I get all the clothes necessary and anything that would count
would be heavy stuff. A good shaving brush and some gillett Blades would be handy also
a few handkerchiefs would be appreciated. I haven't rec'd any mail recently from any of
the folk but there is some on the way. At that I have rec'd so many letters from you all
that I am quite satisfied but one cannot help wishing for more and more. After we land in
some places we had pictured as rest billets, etc. I take out the picture you sent me of the
fire place in your sitting room and think of the many good times I have had sitting right
there. Lately some of the boys and myself have worked pretty hard and succeeded in
keeping pretty comfortable and well which is really the thing to be thankful for. I think it
safe now to tell you we have had an experience in the line and have helped put the Boche
in the terrible predicament he is now in. Probably when you receive this a whole lot will
have happened in the peace line so I wont attempt to comment on it. Needless to say
where we are is not anything like the boys in the front lines and I try never to grumble at
any duty that comes my way but do it cheerfully. How I wish that I could now sit down
by said fireplace and tell you all my experiences. I could tell some hair raising ones to but
they are of the past so dont worry about them as nothing is liable to happen like it again.
Say Chas have you got the song "Homeward Bound." It is dandy and quite popular over
here as they sometimes end entertainments with it. Get it if you can as you can then
imagine how we like it after hearing a lot of war songs. The YMCA today handed out
some dandy biscuits and this morning one of the boys made pancakes on our little fire so
we are pretty well fed up. Did I ever tell you that I had my pack stolen. As we were
moving up to the front once we stopped in a small village and as I was on a night shift I
took my raincoat - blankets and belt and went to work, leaving my pack with a lot of
others in a building assigned to us. In the morning the whole thing was stolen together
with three others. It must have been done by some infantry that ... coming from the front
that passed thru that night. When there is a long fight on the infantry drop everything and
go to it. Thus they pick up anything in sight so I dont blame them. It isnt charged to you
when in action. I am equipped now so nothing to worry about. We get bread, butter,
beef, rice, coffee sometimes syrup (Karo) potatoes so you can see we are well off in the
eating end of it. We just rec'd some new heavy underwear and eveyone has the itches, it is
so wooly. I just had to stop to scratch myself. There are six of us here very congenial and
we have six bunks with large springs (wire). When we retire if a fellow turns over it
sounds like a boneyard from the cracking sound of the springs. Its really amusing and the
talk after we are in bed is very humorous. There is more humor in the American Army
(some army too) than all the others put together. Will close Chas hoping the folk will
consider this to them all as well as you and Emily. Tell Mama I'm well and doing nicely.
Tell papa to smoke a big cigar for me.
Cliff |
