June 15, 1918

"Well here comes the sad news - we are leaving next week - I think about Thursday or Friday and Yenez, it really makes my heart ache to think of going so far from home. If only I could have to got to see sister once more before I left. I know papa + Cecil will be all right but my sister I hate to leave behind..."

This was part of a packet of letters I found in a flea market. They were written to a woman living in Geyserville. Most were from one serviceman in the "Big Red One" who later went on to marry (and divorce) her (from what I could tell).

Most of the letters were from after the war serving in Germany, most are filled with trivial details, or asking after the woman and her life. A few were tear inducing with what was not said.

I sent most of these to the Division One museum after pondering a while what I might do with them.

This letter above, the one letter I kept, was one of the tear enducing ones, from a different young man (who may have very well got to Europe too late to see fighting).