AN AMERICAN WW1 SOLDIER WRITES HOME

 Letter to Aunt Nell - France July 31, 1918 Dear Aunt Nell: - Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well and feeling as lively as usual, etc. I probably wouldn't have written you but recently I started on a journey of several days and it occurred to me that it might amuse you to learn how I was equipped by way of commissary supplies. Now you can laugh - and enjoy the situation immensely as you won't ever have to sit in a box car by day, and lay on its floor and "simulate" sleep by night - so here goes: Of course I had my full pack - all my worldly goods - and a peculiarly shaped bag in addition. In that bag were the following - 6 pkgs. of hard tack, 3 cans of corn "willy" (beef), 2 cans tomatoes, a can of jam and a piece of cheese. These I systematically divided into a number of parts equal to the number of days first - then from each day's allotment, arranged my 3 "menus." At different stations I got hot coffee (with a wee bit o' rum...

 More diary entries - July 22, 1918, Mon., Fair. Warm. Had an hour of drill on offensive combat - line of half platoons, combat groups and skirmishes. Then observation practice, and some dictation on Boche organization & identification to finish a.m. Went to 100+ range in p.m. Made 7 straight bulls on 3" bull - and 5 hits ex 5 shots at 4 sep. varying target. Wrote notes. Out from 8 - 11:30 p.m. on a patrol problem - hiked 3 miles out & back. Bed about 12. Darned tired. Good patrols. July 23, 1918, Tuesday. Rain. Cloudy. Result of last Sat. Exam: Lt. Duane - on maps, etc. 98%. Lt. Conley - on musketry, sniping & R.F.'s - 97%. Lt. Graustedt - on patrolling, sketching, etc. - 90%. Lt. Egan - musketry, sniping, telescopic sights, etc. - 60%. Grand average 86 1/4%. On 400+ range in a.m. Poor light - did not shoot very well. Formed up for battle show - but it was called off on acct. of rain. Had a patrol problem and planned athletics for tomorrow. Wrote a bit in evening ...

 France. Sunday July 21, 1918 Dear Aunt Nell - Here's Sunday again and it's possible to write you a few lines so here it goes! A fellow thinks observation posts, sniping, patrolling, scouting, map coordination, panoramic sketching, prismatic compass, protractors, alidades, aero-photos, range cards, telescopic sights, range finders, sniperscopes, periscopes, traversing rifle rests, theories of musketry, camouflage, minor tactics, gas defense, drill, calisthenics, ballistics and discipline all the week - then - the week end arrives and he reads the Sat. Evening Post, the Stars & Stripes, the weekly newspapers and thinks about things farthest from military most of the time. Then there are always YMCA movies and often something much better. For instance - one particular Sat. night they had a very famous lady singer from the Opera Comique, of Paris - a well known lady pianist, a tenor singer who was wonderful and - as a diversion a contortionist - so it made a regular show. Then...