American Expeditionary Forces
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
ARMY OF OCCUPATION
Puderbach Germany
Sunday
May 18, 1919
Dear Sis and All:
Your letter of April 23rd came through in record time and was received a few days ago.
Well, Elsie, I have written so many letters from Germany that I have about run out of something to write about. Everything goes on day after day with the same old monotony. This country like France was interesting when we first came here, but lately everything of interest seems to have disappeared. And I, for one, am thinking only of that good old place called U.S.A.
I happen to belong to one of, if not the best division in the U.S. Army. While the war was going on, and there was a hard place in the line to break through it was the 2nd Division that was assigned the job and always proved its worth. Making the farthest total distance of any American Division (60 kilometers or 37 1/2 miles) and capturing over twelve thousand prisoners (1/4 as many as was captured by the whole A.E.F.). Also captured over one-fifth of all the guns captured by the A.E.F. and suffered a total of over 24,000 casualties (about 1/10 of the total casualties of the A.E.F.). Now that all of the National Army and National Guard divisions are nearly all home, and discharged, enjoying real old freedom of civilian life, the old 2nd has had to sit here on the Rhine and wait patiently for our chance which it seems never comes.
I wish you would tell Willie that when he grows to be a man and ever enters into politics, thereby being elected to Congress, to introduce and use his influence to get passed a bill to have the Second Division brought home and his old Uncle will dance at his wedding.
There is a rumor—in fact several of them, that we leave Germany in June, but nothing official to that effect, so it sounds too good to be true and I can’t believe it till that old ship shoves off sails across the Atlantic, is anchored on the other side and I set my foot on old U.S.A. soil.
I received a letter from Papa stating that he had bought Bill Spinning’s ranch cornering with Uncle Elmore’s[possibly an uncle on his mother’s side] place. It is a small place, but at that we can make every acre produce and improve the place well, and make as much as we could on a larger place not so well taken care of.
But I am coming to California for a visit and to visit Mae and Mag and then settle down to the simple life, that of a bachelor? farmer such as Tom Lamb and Messenger. [I don’t know if these are people he knew, or some colloquial reference from days gone by]
Well, Elsie, I don’t know of any thing more to write about so will close for now with love and best wishes to all.
Your Brother
1st Amb. Co. 2nd Div.
American E. F.
A.P.O. 710.
P.S. I received the Cortez papers—thanks. Send some more.
TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER
TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD: BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVING STAMPS