  Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3555 Registered: 01-2005 |
 Camp Logan, Texas November 29, 1917 Dear Mother, Well, I can't say that I'm very sick after the big meal. I never felt better in my life. What do you think of this new Y.M.C.A. paper? It is a little louder than a person might use in civilian life, but fine stuff for the Army. Besides, half of the soldiers can't write. They're all worse bums than I am. Got your letters enclosing articles from Lakeview (IL). Old Brown was always saying things like that until it got in the papers. Then things all quieted down. Lots of things will be awfully strange when I get to Chicago. If I ever do. I have just about given up hopes of a discharge. I guess I'm in for a few years of life near the strange strip of land called No Man's Land. I can see the Company now, on the firing line for the first time. I can almost hear the whine of big shells, and I feel cold. No, I am not feeling that just exactly, but I do begin to feel the effects of Thanksgiving dinner! Now I suppose you want to know all about it. Turkey topped the menu. We had sixty turkeys to the company. I really think that I could have eaten more at that. There were carrots and peas, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed spuds, oyster dressing, apple salad, bread and butter, a small package of figs, two pieces of pie (mince and pumpkin), ice cream, orange julep, and a cigar (I gave mine to the cook and got another dish of ice cream). The cook had two dozen cigars when the mess hall had been vacated. Major Orr said a few words to the bunch while we were eating. He said that this was the last Thanksgiving that a good many of us are to have. A lot of us who don't expect to see active service are greatly mistaken (and he looked at me when he said that). So I suppose I may as well make up my mind to make the best of it. Gee, it's hard. I am sure that the lieutenant could have done more for me if he had wanted to. The Seventh U.S.Cavalry came into camp this afternoon. The band was playing the piece that drives a true cavalry man's blood a mile a minute, General Custer's Gary Owen, or something like that. Gee, but it was pretty. They're camped right near us and were eating travelling rations; about twenty of 'em cam to our mess shack for their eats. And believe me, I think they had enough to eat for once in their lives. I also got a letter from Aunt Flo. I suppose you and they had a fine time -- rather, are having it now. I'll be mighty glad to see dear old Dad Xmas. I hope he won't be disappointed in Camp Logan. But Mama dear, it's hard to think of never seeing you again. I shouldn't have mentioned it. Must close now. I want to write a letter to my little girl in Wisconsin. She certainly is a dandy. I think an awful lot of her. Goodbye, Mother Dear. Your own, Rudolph. ------------------------------------------------ Rudolph was my dear old Dad. He never married the Wisconsin girl, but later married twice, both to Detroit girls. He was honorably discharged, and was fortunate in remaining stateside all during the war. He proudly wore his WW I lapel pin all his life. Pop died in 1961. I miss him. | ||
Tponetom Member Username: Tponetom Post Number: 321 Registered: 06-2007 |
Ray: Birds of a Feather. I have a letter from my Dad when I was 20. easily my most treasured possession. He was born on '03 and died in '63 and left me and my brother and sisters, wonderful memories that will never die. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3557 Registered: 01-2005 |
Pretty much same time frame, Tp. Dad was born '00 and as said, died in '61. Much to young, both of them. His mother (my grandmother, of course) kept that letter for years, and when her husband (my grandfather) died in 1951, she passed it along back to him. It remained in a family album all these years. Those of us who had good parents were the luckiest of all people, eh? | ||
Maof2 Member Username: Maof2 Post Number: 351 Registered: 06-2008 |
Ray - What a wonderful letter. My father was a WW2 vet and wrote many letters home to his parents, brother and sisters. I love the terms they used such as "gee" as your dad did and "swell" as mine. I have inherited by dad's army trunk (they may have called it a footlocker), with all these lovely letters, his uniforms (dress and casual), pins and ribbons,hats, newspaper clippings, pinups pictures, a few enemy items, utensils, etc. and momentos from France, Italy, Germany. Now, my dad was a medic and am sure he saw many a terrible thing. I never heard my dad speak of the war and unfortunately, he passed away at 48 years of age leaving my mom a young widow (47) with four daughters ages 13(me) up to age 22. I've often wondered had he lived a longer life and as I became an adult, if a discussion would have been had. I apologize if I've gotten a little ahead of myself and didn't mean to take away your "thunder". It was a lovely letter to read. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3561 Registered: 01-2005 |
Didn't steal any thunder at all, Maof2. I was hoping to generate a little discussion just such as yours by posting it, and you didn't disappoint! Whatever you do, guard that footlocker with your life! Future generations will treasure it, as you do. Imagine what your great grandchildren will think of it a hundred years from now! Any chance you could scan or transpose those newspaper items? I'd love to learn what was valuable to him back then. | ||
Alfie1a Member Username: Alfie1a Post Number: 59 Registered: 10-2007 |
Ray, Thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed that view of the past. Your pop sure musta been a fine man. | ||
Maof2 Member Username: Maof2 Post Number: 356 Registered: 06-2008 |
Ray, absolutely I will. The last time I went through everything was about 4 months ago and I'm sure they are newspaper clippings about the war and they may have been saved by my dad's sisters as they kept everything for him and scrap booked items while he was in the service. I may even scan the "pin-up" too! It may be a while as this is the last week before my kids start school but will do it when I get a chance. I also have a question for you or anyone else that may know. There are several service pins he received and I do know what they were for but there are several I do not. Any idea as to how I can find out about them? I have, in the past, searched the internet with no luck. | ||
Tponetom Member Username: Tponetom Post Number: 322 Registered: 06-2007 |
Ray, Your "letter" story is not unlike the one I mentioned above. I never told this story before, to anyone, except my family. A bit of whimsey, first. Great-Grandpa O'Neil died of cirrhosis of the liver, in 1879, at age,44, like every good Irishman should. My dad died at age 59, in a less honorable way, (for an Irishman) that being, a heart attack. He had been shooting pool, in a bar league, with his brother, Frankie. Dad was a pool shark in his day. But on that fateful night, he just keeled over and was dead when he hit the floor. So said Uncle Frankie. The "wake" was spread over three days. I shed not a tear, during those three days because there were too many details and people to handle. "Keeping a stiff upper lip," I might say. I was driving my mother home from Mt. Olivet Cemetary. Driving through the exit gate unto Outer Drive, I just fell apart and I thought the flood of tears would never stop. But, of course, they did. I got Ma home and all the friends and family finally left. Peggy and I went to our home on Evanston. Too numb to speak, too emotional to sleep. She said, "Take a book and try to relax your mind." I thought, "why not?" I went to our bookcase and took the first book that was handy. I sat down and randomly opened it. The letter that Dad had sent me on my 20th birthday, fell, out of the book. I had forgotten all about it and it was never in my memory bank up until that evening. Since that evening, I have kept an extra copy, like as many as ten, in every place imaginable. | ||
Lferg Member Username: Lferg Post Number: 24 Registered: 07-2008 |
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful letter! | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 1116 Registered: 05-2007 |
Ray, I too miss my dad dearly. Thanks for sharing. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 5395 Registered: 10-2003 |
thanks Ray. You may be interested in this: http://wwar1.blogspot.com/ A WWI Diary, published by the grandson of the author.. | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 549 Registered: 08-2007 |
i have some of my fathers army stuff from when he was in korea, my step dad [Dad] is 84 and will talk about the war [WW2] but not the gory stuff , don,t blame him , it,s his story. i have the irishmans guilt never served in the armed forces but have the utmost respect for my Dads and all vets. Ray your a lucky man to have such a letter. | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 175 Registered: 11-2006 |
Maof2, To look up your Dads ribbons try here: https://veteranmedals.army.mil / It has a lot of information to go through but shows what each looks like. I think you will find examples there. | ||
Maof2 Member Username: Maof2 Post Number: 360 Registered: 06-2008 |
Thanks sgt. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3563 Registered: 01-2005 |
Thanks for that link, Barnes. Bookmarked for some nice reading later tonight. | ||
Eriedearie Member Username: Eriedearie Post Number: 2861 Registered: 08-2007 |
Ray, your letter is a true treasure. Thank you for sharing  | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 2093 Registered: 09-2005 |
"There were carrots and peas, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed spuds, oyster dressing, apple salad, bread and butter, a small package of figs, two pieces of pie (mince and pumpkin), ice cream, orange julep, and a cigar (I gave mine to the cook and got another dish of ice cream)." With the turkey, not a bad Thanksgiving dinner at all. | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 1440 Registered: 11-2006 |
"Rudolph was my dear old Dad." I was so relieved to read that. Phew, I was thinking "oh I hope he doesn't tell us that Rudolph died in the war". I would have cried. | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 550 Registered: 08-2007 |
no wonder why my dad smoked stogies, he was a cook. |
