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“Somewhere in France” April 16, 1918 Miss Lorine Anderson Clinton, Ill. R#1 My Dearest Cousin: Just received your letter a little while ago. Many thanks for it, it was a good letter and very interesting. I just got thru eating supper a little bit ago and then drove out to headquarters supply Depot. One of the Captains is going to make a trip to another depot about 100 miles from here. I have made three trips to this place so I was asked to give him the route. We have had very disagreable weather for a long time, in fact it has been raining for a month, if they call this sunny France, “Good Night,” I’d like to see more of the sun. A Frenchman said to me the other day, it was spring now. I think he meant spring of water. Anyway the farmers here are busy putting in their crops. The wheat is 8 or 10 inches high and looks fine. This here I am writing with needs over hauling. See but it is hailing now, believe I will dig a hole and crawl in it. Well how are you anyways I often think of you and Carl [Page 2] I must write to him some day, I just can remember him. The other day I was showing one of my friends the pictures I have with me, we came to one of your pictures, he said Gee I would like to get acquainted with that little dame. Most of the boys are going wild over the French girls but I can’t understand how they can give up their sweethearts at home. I will admit that a great part of the girls ‘over here’ are very pretty, but they are so jealous and changeable I wouldn’t marry one on a bet. Well I will tell you a little about my work at present. I haven’t worked in the hospital for two months, I have been driving motor cars. I have went back to the coast three times to get cars for this Hospital and M.D. Some fun we had, we drove only six and seven hours a day and the rest of the time we spent looking things over, we must have been some curiosity to the French people. I am a lucky dog to have the job I have, I have traveled all over the central part of France. One nite I went to sleep on the train and went right up to the front, I couldn’t help it there was nobody to wake me up. I was traveling on special orders to get a motor cycle for this Hospital, I [Page 3] was to get off at 12 oclock but slept until three. When I came back I told the Captain and he just laughed. He believes in seeing all the country you can. Ahem! I do. By the way do you intend to move to your new home in Ohio this fall? I got a letter from Mama, Harry, Bessie, Lulu + Maude. I am the happiest boy in France, and I got two boxes of candy and other stuff one from mother and one from Maude. Lulu said she had sent one but I haven’t received it yet. Oh I have so many letters to answer I never can catch up. Please write if you don’t hear from me, sometimes I am out driving all nite and then the next day I am on the bum. I am subject to calls at any times. I have been taking the camp inspector around for the last week. This morning we went to a town 15 miles from here and took a good bath. This man is great he treats me as if I was a Major instead of a Private. I have asked for a transfer to this Hospital but haven’t heard from it yet. I can’t advance as long as I am detached service. I have been offered a Sergant rank and I hope my papers go thru O.K. I don’t care for the rank so much but I need the money to spend. [Page 4] Say I am sorry the chickens scratched up your sweet pears [?], I can imagine how mad you were, I have seen such things happen, that is about the only thing Mable ever got mad at. I hope Harry don’t take the whooping cough. Yes Lorine I will write mama often for she is the dearest one on earth to me now. I haven’t been with her much since I was 16, but I haven’t forgotten her love. She is a great woman and I would do any thing on earth I can for her. I wouldn’t want to go thru what she has, and still she tries to be happy, and I believe she is now, I believe papa has settled down now. He is farming a half section this year. Huron and May are at home. Do you know Forest Thompson’s address? If you will please send it to me. I know where there is several aviation camps and I hope he is close to here. Is he flying or not? Do you know what his work is? Gee I am lonesome tonite, I wish I could have been at the dance you gave, these French don’t know how to dance. I met a girl from Paris who was visiting near here, she could one step very well, but we didn’t have any music. Oh this is a great life – [Page 5] April 17 – Good morning – how are you? I didn’t get to finish your letter last nite and here it is 11 oclock. I started out early this morn and believe me it was cold. The sun is shining today and it is warming up a little. We were inspecting Chinese barraks, we had a time with them. We have 5 or 6 thousand working here I think the government made a bad mistake by getting them here. We have to have French, Spanish and Chinese interpreters. I think we have most every race of people there is right here. Stoped again, just got back from dinner. I noticed as I was coming out of the mess room that a new lot of soldiers just came in from the U.S.A. numbers of them are sick and are coming in the hospital. Lorine in one of your letters you spoke of a friend who was a Corporal in the infantry, will you give me his address, I might chance to meet him if he lives near you. I have some friends ‘over here’ ‘somewhere’ but I do not know what they belong to. There is one boy in this hospital who lives in Missouri. I am well acquainted with him, we went to Sunday School together when we were only seven years old, I don’t [Page 6] see him very much of late, because the mumps caught him. Well I must close for this time and will write again soon. Don’t forget to write often. Oh I am hapy to get those pictures, I will send you some pictures as soon as I can. With love and best wishes to all Your Cousin Homer Darrel Thompson M.D. 25th Engineers Camp Hospital 43 A.E.F. France |
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