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 we got some wonderful speakers - college men, big thinking chaps that tell us fellows their thoughts in just the way we want to hear them.

What do you think of the news of the past week or so? Aren't the Yanks making good splendidly though? I wonder what the Kaiser thinks of America's contemptibly little army now? Ha!Ha! Bet old New York was pretty excited when the big successes were announced! I can imagine the people - flushed with the excitement of knowing the spirit of '76 - '61 and '98 is still strong in their soldier's veins. Yanks are always Yanks, all right - aren't they? Ha!Ha!

To get a suit of pajamas, a carton of Pall Malls or a box of Huylers from home a soldier has to have his Colonel OK the request - but - I'm going to make one here and now that won't need a Colonel's OK. A plain platoon Sergt. is going to OK it himself! Ha!Ha! Now - this is what I want - a picture of you! One of a size that can be trimmed down as small as the square outlined on the back of this sheet! [When measured the upright rectangle was approximately 5x3 inches] I've recently found in a stationers a neat little picture folder - and so far have Anna & El Refugio in it - have already requisitioned for one of the folks - and this is "officially" one for a picture of you! Now - how about it? Rush it along - please!

Am enclosing a few clippings from this week's A.E.F. paper, which may interest you.

And - by the way do you get the Sat. Evening Post each week? You mustn't miss it. There are accounts in it of patrolling, air observation, trench life, etc. that can picture to you more clearly our life over here than any publication I know. It has some wonderfully accurate writers - who tell facts and tell them (?) well. Please don't miss them if you're interested in the doings of different types of specialists and doughboys over here.

Well - that's all I've got to write as I can't think of anything else to say. Of course I'm well - never more so! Feeling fine, feeling the best I have since I left U.S. - and not working as hard as to wear me out - excellent opportunity for baths, nice place to shave, a good cot to sleep on - with good night ventilation and am learning something more of my chosen specialty each day - so - shouldn't I be happy? Well!

Hoping this finds you all OK and that I'll get a letter from you soon, will close - as always

With much love / Clyde

Among other clipping, Clyde included these poems with his letter. -

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