[ NOTE: IF YOU ARE READING THIS SERIES FOR THR FIRST TIME, IT'S BEST TO START AT THE BEGINNING] [Also - no, you didn't miss anything - I took a couple weeks off to spend time on some other projects.]

More diary entries -

Feb. 7, 1918, Thur. Fair. Slightly warmer.

Slept fine, up early. Went to gas mask school, studied, and wrote this a.m. Warmed up a lot more in p.m. Slept and went to auto gun school. MacIntyre was down in evening. We talked woodcraft until taps.

Feb. 8, 1918, Frid., Fair & warm. Very warm.

Beautiful day. Do not even need a sweater on. Very warm. Went over to gas chambers this a.m. for finale' on gas mask work. Laid around and cleaned equipment this p.m. Wrote C.J.B. Bed early.

Feb. 9, 1918, Sat., Fairly warm & partly cloudy.

Decent day enough. Regular inspection this a.m. I accompanied Lieut. Hagen inspecting 3rd platoon. Perfect inspection. Send m.o. of $15.00 to C.J.B. Wrote M.R. & H.A.D. Played cards in evening. Bed early.

Feb. 10, 1918, Sun., Very warm. Fair.

Beautiful day. Wrote letters to mother & Edith S. Good lunch. Read & coached (?) this a.m. Read in p.m. Bed early.

Feb. 11, 1918, Mon., Very Warm. Fine!

Drilled 2 1/2 hours this p.m. [I think he meant a.m.] Pretty weak yet. Had Reg't'l. review this p.m. Did not go out. Wrote five letters. Took out a policy for $5,000.00 worth of insurance today payable to mother. Wrote Uncle D. Bed late.

Feb. 12, 1918, Tues., Warm. Cloudy.

Co. went into trenches at 8 a.m. I did not go on account of my lungs. Wrote a few letters & played cards with Barse. Bed early.

Feb. 13, 1918, Wednesday. Pay Day.

Cloudy. Foggy. Wrote Sis. Played pretty strong games of rummy with Barse. Co. is doing trench digging work for 3 days. Good eats. Paid tonight. Recd. $18.00. Cooler.

Clyde (standard photo)

Letter to Aunt Nell -

Camp

2/13/18

Dear Aunt Nell : -

Just a few lines to acknowledge your card of the 7th and to tell you that the box of chocolates arrived safely today - for which I thank you much more than I have the eloquence to express. "Hersheys" are the very best, I know - so, I have purchased some wax paper and securely wrapped them and put away in my reserve equipment & clothing kit for future reference, acting on your advice. Your inspiration was most assuredly immense!

Am all over the measles, as I wrote you in my last letter, which you have undoubtedly received by now - so won't make this note long, as I'm awaiting your reply to my letter - and - there's no news now, except that our battalion is in the trenches for 72 hours (3 days) but I didn't go it as I still have quite a cold on my lungs.

Hoping to hear from you soon, will close,

With love, / Clyde

Back to the diary -

Feb. 14, 1918, Thurs. Cloudy. Warm.

Played cards with Barse, wrote a few letters, smoked & studied. Went to Barber shop, got stationery & stamps. Rained at night. Tent leaked to beat hell! Wrote few letters. Bed early.

Feb. 15, 1918, Frid., Fair. Very Warm. 

No drill today - Co. commended by Capt. Dick on efficiency. Moved to tent 22 - no decent tent for us yet. Went to movies om military training this evening. No retreat. Have a tent with one quarter of the roof gone. Bed at taps.

Feb.16, 1918, Sat. Cloudy. Rain.

Rained in our tent and got everything all wet. Enormous hole in tent. Fixed it up best we could. Had inspection inside tents. Co. went on guard. Wrote a few letters. Bed early.

Letter to Aunt Nell -

Camp Wadsworth, S.C.

February 16, 1918

Dear Aunt Nell: -

Your letter of the 13th came this evening, and as it's raining out, and I've a whole evening ahead of me and everyone else in the tent is writing, it behooves me to take advantage of the opportunity to answer you and a couple dozen more letters.

Sleep? Gee! That's all I have done for the past 2 weeks! The 1st Sgt. comes down to my tent and says "For God's sake, Sergt. aren't you ever going to feel well enough to commence drilling again?" And - I'd wake up just enough to set up in bed and tell him -"I'm a sick woman, Top, and I'll be d----d if I'll drill or do anything else for this _ _ company until I feel in the right frame of mind!" Even the Capt. accused me of being pretty lax last Monday - and I had intended to drill at least half of the week - but just for that I didn't do a thing the whole week! But - unless someone tells me to start working Monday - I will start - but if they do - zingo! Ill loaf another week if I go in the guard house for it!

Oh Gee! I've reason enough to lose interest in everything! Us three senior line sergeants are men from the 1st. Regt. and the Top Sgt. & officers don't like it. However - we're old men in the service, seen months where their men have seen weeks of duty - and know the game and know it well! As a consequence they make things pretty disagreeable for us. We go up and ask to be reduced to privates and they won't do it - we ask to be transferred out but they can't get a transfer and we can't get any satisfaction at all. When it comes to recommending men for officers' school - they send some of their own men - and all three of us are disgusted & discouraged.

That poem on "Team Work" is rank irony in connection with conditions in this company! There's just enough esprit de corps here so that when the Captain said he would consider transfers out of the company to another organization - about 90% of the whole outfit applied. It made him wild! I'm absolutely disinterested in affairs here until conditions change!

Company library - nothing! Ye gods - we have company "nothing" anymore! It's got so we're a lot of little groups, or cliques instead of a Co. There's the 1st non-coms. - the 7th privates, the 12th privates, the 10th privates and the 1st privates - and several subdivisions in these classes - and NO company as a whole!

The 1st. & 12th men, also the 10th men, get along fine - and all of us work against the 7th dubs! I have had more trouble with my 7th Corporals than any of the rest! One of them proved such a disagreeable pup that I have ridden him continually for a month, now. He's the swankiest dub I ever met - and I'll get him reduced if I have to worry him into desertion, or at least insubordination! [note - I am not familiar with the term "dub" - perhaps it part of a limited vernacular]

So you can see why I have none of my old spirit and don't care any more how much real work I put into each day! I sincerely hope things change - and am willing to go halfway - but - if things continue like this - I'll soon get reduced and stay a private until the war's over! It's sure disheartening!

But - why grouch through a whole letter? I'm an awful old crab - and this business gets my goat - but speaking of Germany and the U.S. - I think that when we get into action as we as a nation are capable of doing - Germany will never wage war on anyone again.

Did you read the articles in the Republic & Digest about Wilson's lack of sense in picking his cabinet members? It was absolutely disgusting as anyone knows Wilson is too able a man to fall down in those details. Sec'y Baker is a wonder! I don't know much about Garfield & his (stunts?) - but I do know the War Dept. is accomplishing wonderful feats in its production of supplies, etc.

No, I'm not taking a furlough - as I couldn't ask the Capt. for one - wouldn't ask him for a match!

NO! Please - no! I don't need any medicine! And especially that stuff you sent last fall - it did me a lot of good - but I swore I'd never take any more - I'd die first! Thanks awfully, just the same.

Gee! It's raining again and it's running into our tent in a dozen places so I've got to get in bed and get a rubber blanket over me before my blankets get all wet. They've even put us 1st. & 12th non coms in the leakiest tent in the Co.! D--- 'em!

Well - hoping I hear from you soon, and assuring you that I'll try not to be in such a disagreeable mood next time, I'll close, as ever

With much love, /Clyde

Observations - I think Clyde's despair results from a combination of being singled out due to his affiliation with the 1st Infantry, but mostly his not getting a furlough.

Up next - More diary entries and some genealogical information tying Clyde and Nellie if I can sort it out in time.