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Envelope addressed to: Mr. F M Buck contains a copy of "The Flash", a newspaper of the 78th Division dated 6 March 1919. A note by Cliff says, "This is a paper edited by our Division Staff." No mention of PFC Buck in the paper, which is in good condition despite being folded in the envelope all these years (1919-1999).
March 9, 1919
Chevigny, France
Dear Chas.
Rec'd your letter yesterday and as usual was glad to hear from you and all the news of home. You can never realize how good a letter from home is till you get so far away as this is. First of all I am, as usual, well. That is a big thing over here as flu is about the same as in the U.S. We have been in this town ever since Nov. 18th and I have been well all the time except a couple of head aches that seemed like colds coming on so I took a couple of aspirin tablets and went to sleep and got up as fresh as a new dollar bill. Speaking of "bill", Bill MacAvoy is a lucky boy to be in the bank again and out of the army so soon. See what has happened to him since I enlisted. In it, over her, back again to work. That is going some. I have written in mamas letter that we are due to sail in May. This is no rumor but a fact as they have published the list of divisions that are sailing
the next three months and we are there in May. It wont be long now before we are moving to a sea port, then for home. Wow! I don't run across the Succasunna boys any more tho' they are within an area of 40 miles from me which our division occupies. I expect to go on pass to southern france soon as I am in the next three to go from this company. It will probably be in a week or so. The boys all report wonderful times and fine country down south. Have I ever told you of my billet. We (eight fellows) have a large room in a farm house with eight bunks. Bed ticks and plenty of blankets. I have a fine feather pillow I've carried ever since Oct. 15th. It has been with me all through the fighting and is a fine soft one. Our room is lighted with electric lights. I work on the plant furnishing the lights. 5 hours a day. The shifts vary every three days so some times I am on duty in the day time and sometimes at night. At present I am on duty and it is 10;30 p.m. The work is easy and excuses me from all other duties. The light room where I work is in one end of the farm house. Pretty handy eh! Ralph has been out with a radio set for a few weeks but is coming in again soon, In a day or two we will be together again.
I haven't done much in the radio since we were back here as I had charge of the dispatch riders through the war. It was a job that suited me and had to be done accurately as you can realize how important messages were when we were in the fight. Dont imagine it was all soft work for some times it ran 24 hours in a stretch and when in the front lines I got closely acquainted with various calibre german shells tho as you know they didn't have my number on hem. It was funny how quickly you learned to tell when and where a shell was coming and if it was going to be close. The weather is getting better right along now. Real spring like and warm. They have set the clock ahead an hour already and it is a good idea. I read they were trying to do away with it in the U.S. I hope not as it is well liked by all the boys over here and is a fine idea to my mind. Mama asks if I have cooties yet. Tell her no and havent had for three months. We had immense machines come around and "de Cootiezed" us all. They are terrible things and I was glad to get rid of them. They seemed to come from nowhere but stuck like glue. You may not believe it but one fellow one night picked 75 off his shirt alone. I never had them like that, thank goodness. Well Chas. keep that chicken well fed for me when I get back for Im longing for a good old american dinner as of yore.
The new high school must be a dandy with its gym and assembly hall. Then the lights at home are a wonderful improvement. We get pan cakes twice a week at our messes, also biscuits, french toast etc. All in all we are treated rather well.
Hoping you are all well. With love to everyone.
Cliff
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