MMS 1523 - Heral Watson Gardinier Papers: Transcripts (1918)
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Title | MMS 1523 - Heral Watson Gardinier Papers: Transcripts (1918) |
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Heral Watson Gardinier - 1918 Correspondence
January 30, 1918[stationery with small American flag on a staff in red, white and blue, slogan "WITH THE COLORS" and YMCA logo] Camp Merritt Dear Sister and all I will answer your welcome letter that I received to day Hope this finds you all well I have got a bad cold. I guess the change of weather is what does it. We were six days and seven nights on the train. Gee we were a tired, dirty bunch when we got here It sure was some trip. How is Mother I have not heard from her for some time. Say I got insured for $10,000 and it will be paid to Mother by the month $56 until it is all paid up. Do you think I aught to give papa a little out this that is if some thing should happen to me. Please let me know. And I will write to Mother or have you tell her We took a hike to day and the road is just like ice hell(?). And with these hob nail shoes on a fellow will slid all over Well I took one got fall. And one fellow hurt himself pretty bad. Roosivelt gave a speech here to day But there was so many fellows there you could not even get to see him. Have you heard from Alice lately I got a letter from Caddie yesterday. Is Lnear going to build a big barn like Roma. We are about twenty miles from New York city. They have a big Y.M.C.A. here. Tell Cora to write. There is going to be a speach given here by some New York gamler. Do not know wether I will stay or now yet. Well I will ring off this time kiss the baby for me With lot of love Heral (Undated) Camp Merritt, New Jersey[stationery with small american flag on a staff in red, white and blue, slogan "WITH THE COLORS" and YMCA logo] Camp Merritt N. J. Dear Sister and all I will drop you a few line to let you know I am pretty good not Except they have got me in the hospital in Jersey City with the mumps There are two eother boys here with me from our Co. So I am not alone. We have been here about eight days. We may be will have to stay for quite a while. Some of the boys are taken with scarlet fever But I am all O.K. The mumps did not bother me any We get three meals a day and nothing to do but eat and sleep. So you see along all O.K. Where is Mother now I have not heard from her in a long time. We do not know when we are going to leave You can tell Mother to give half of the money to Dad. I think that would be the bst thing to do. I made it out in Mother name and I cannot change it now. Have you heard from papa yet. I have got six letters to write to day and two for another fellow that can not write. So you see I am a pretty busy fellow And say send me stamps if you have some because We cannot get out to get any We are in a Catholic hospital and we have sisters to wait on us. They get mad if you do not call them sister. I tell them they are not my sisters. haha A fellow came around and get the temperature twice a day. Mine is O.K. every day. You can send this .letter to mother. Or tell her about it. And tell her to send me some money if she can spare some Write soon. March 24, 1918[stationery: American/YMCA ON ACTIVE SERVICE with AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE] Winchester Eng 1918 Dear Mother And all I will drop you a few lines to let you know I am all O.K. We are still in Eng And do not when we will get to France But hope before long. The letter you get from me should go to all. Because some of them might get lost. We are still getting our Lunch bread and jam ha, ha, We feed our back door bum better then all Eng. is getting I write to Dad. You will not have to send this to Caddie. But do not forget the rest. I suppose I have got a lot of mail in the Co. But no way to get it yet Because we do not know when we move. We went down to the band concert last night. Gee every thing is green and nice here I have not done any drilling for a long time. I had to do some things for the Luit. one in a while. We sure do have a snap. There is quite a lot of English girls around camp but they do not look like U.S. girl. You can bet on that. We cannot go down town But have to stay in camp. Some of the 127 Inf. Causels(?) have to stay here and guard this camp. And we may go to some other camp. Cannot tell nothing about it at all. There are a few boys here that has been on the first line trench. We move into a new hut. (barrack) to day. Well I will have to close for this time. Your loving Son. April 22, 1918Apr. 22 1918 Dear Mother and all I will try and drop you a line tonight. I have been pretty busy the last week. I am in English bayonet class. We just got through mess. Did not get a very big supper, slum and black coffee. had a good dinner We have a fire in our room. And the boys play cards to see who will get the wood. Are you with the girls. Why do you not write often I have just got one letter from you. We have a lot of rain It rains about 24 hours a day and sometimes more. haha I suppose everything and every body is busy around home. Well I will have to close for this time do not forget I am in France and write Your loving Will write more next time It is getting dark. May 31, 1918[censor's approval] May 31 1918 Dear Mother and all I received your welcome letter last night Gee it seems good to here from home We get mail about every month I got a letter from Effie and Caddie.Are you working in Toledo now. We are hikeing swimming and sleeping all the time We have our glass of wine every day the old lady where we stay fetches it out to us. I can say a few words in French now. But I have a hard time trying to under stand them. We are having nice weather now. There are big hills all around us here Last night John Osborn and myself (he is the fellow I go and sleep with) took the old Frenchman olen(?) and went out to plow We had them all over the field I laugh so much my sides hurt. We are going to take a 23 Kilometer hike to morrow 14 miles We sleep in a barn and last night we had a cat fight about 1oclock I though the germans were upon us ha ha, We had a snail supper the other night. They though hard shelled one's. They are good when cooked right. Well I will have to close for this time write soon Your loving Son August 10, 1918Aug 10, 1918 Dear Mother and all I will try and drop you a line or two I just found an envelope We are in the drive now We sure do make the Huns run some. We expect to go in again in a few day. I got your & all the letter yesterday and to day I got the Delta paper but did not find any Mount Pleasent new in it so get busy. We are in a big woods now I am on guard to night for two hours. Gee we all tired out when we came back here. I think German[y] is about all in now. I hope so. I do not think the boys or know they will not give up till we get them all I suppose a lot of the boys are being drafted now. I hope they will not have to see any real fighting like we have seen. Some of the boys that were over to the 128 Inf came over to see us We sure was glad to see them. I seen in the paper where Mr Hopkins had his ford stolen Did he find it all right. This letter is for all of you. Until write again just as soon as I can It may be some time but do not worry about me. Your loving Write often and soon. [censor's signature]c Thompson [August 17, 1918]Aug 18, 1918 Dear Mother and all. I will try and write you a few lines this Sunday We are still in camp in a large woods The Huns Airplains try to make it interesting for us. We sure did drive the Huns back some and expect to go back again before long we are waiting to get filled up again. All that is left of us are happy and have got the back door trots. I heard George Wagner was drafted You remember Shack Aten he is over here now I saw his brother he is a wireless man. Gee he said it was good to see a fellow he knew, I think I will go down to see him to night Mother what Division does Loyd belong to I heard some Ohio boys were near us but do not know for sure. I have got quite a cold in my head, but think I am getting better now. You had aught to see some of the town we captured in our last drive Some of the buildings were nock all to pieces and there are big shell holes all over. I get the Delta paper right along now. It sure does make a fellow feel good to know what is going on at home and around. Well Mother I will have to close for this time I will have to write or (?) try to write again soon Paper is pretty scarse around here now. Your loving [censor's signature] |