Sept. 15th, 1918, Fort Worden, Wash.
Dear Fred,
Thought that as I felt pretty foxy tonight would write you a letter just to let you know that my thoughts are still in good old Iowa. And wish that I was also [sic] there. Well God's will be done. Whatever he does is done well.
We just got home from the movies. It was a ride splitting corker, a laugh from start to finish.
Well, Fred, you know I told you when I left that you would have to tip your hat to me. Ha, ha. We are living on the officers line already [sic] and I am taking care of two captians [sic] rooms and I am office orderlie [sic] at the company. I only work about 3 hours a day and I get extra pay. I do not drill or anything. I have not drilled for about three months, so you see I am some swell betcha by gosh.
Is South Dakota in Iowa yet? Say, O boy, when a fellow gets a job like I got now and gets called my P??? man by a major's wife, that is what makes a fellow throw out his shirt and his belly in and shoulders back and his head up: whow. Ouch my darned old corn just stung me now. Oh well if that is all the stinging I ever get. It won't be so worse. Say you remember that fair we wa to last fall. Well we were to the Jefferson county fair last week. About all they had was a couple of horse races that amounted to anything. By gosh I'd like to show these people some real corn once, and see how many would die of heart failure. They had corn that took first prize that wasn't any bigger then my p. is on a morning when it is 4 degrees below zero. Ja, huh. You know about how big that is. You know how many pl??? I use to wear out. In the winter when I wore two pair of pants. And they had six cows and one bull. I don't know which one took the prize. I suppose the bull did though, as he was in a class by himself. It seems like the only things that grow good out here is potatoes, such stuff that is planted under the surface. I guess that is the reason they got so many kids out here.
Say Fred, when you get this letter read you sur [sic] will think that I am nuts. But then a fellow gets that way when he is in the army for about a year. He has got to tear lose [sic] once in a while and get it out of his system or else it will spoil his blood. I guess I told you about all I know and a hell of a lot more. This country out here is made out of about six things: water, rocks, spruce, pines, and fog, mountains and darn fools. They scared a man out of the mountains the other day that didn't know that we was in war. He said he hadn't been to town for four years and had not seen a paper for that long. Well we can't blame him if he lived here all his life. A man would naturaly [sic naturally] forget that he was alive at last. Old George never told a lie but they sure slipped one over him when they named this state.
Well I guess I'll signoff for tonight. Write soon. Don't let anybody else read this letter or they might think there is a couple of screws lose [sic] in my hea but they ain't because I just tighten up before supper. With love and best regards to all and may God Bless you and yours. I remain as ever,
Your Brother Herbert
|
Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass. Contributed July, 2017
|
|
