 |
Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice
|
 |
|
Bradford County PA
|
Chemung County NY
|
Tioga County PA
|
|
|
|
Joyce's Search Tip - January 2008
 |
Do You Know that you can search just the
700
pages of Military Records on the site by using the Military
button in the Partitioned search engine at the bottom of the
Current
What's New Page? |
|
|
Letter From France
The following two letters are from Kenneth O’Dell, son of
Mr. and Mrs. T. E. O’Dell, of this vicinity. He was a student in
Mansfield High and left here about three years ago and has since made his
home in the Middle West. His letters will tell you something of doings
over there.
August 13th, 1918
Dear Mother:
I received the letter that your wrote me on June 30th, and also
received three of the New York papers, but they were over a month old when
they came. WE get the news pretty good here from Paris papers.
I don’t write very often as there is not much to write without having it
canceled by the censor. I cannot tell your where we are now located,
but we will probably be helping in the next drive that takes place in this
sector. I see by the papers that they are going to draft
from 18 to 45. That will make the farm laborers pretty scarce there.
The war news sure looks good to us fellows over here as there
are not very many but would like to get back home again soon. At
the rate the Americans and French are driving the Germans back now they
will be across the Rhine before winter. The French seem to be very
nice people and will do most anything to accommodate a person. I
have seen some places that were shot up pretty bad by the Germans early
in the war. It think I would like to see Mansfield paper once in
a while even if it was pretty long in getting here. I should think
that there would be a lot of the boys that I knew around there, drafted
by now. From reports I have heard from other fellows in the company
they have taken nearly all the boys of draft age from South Dakota, where
they came from. I have not heard from South Dakota since being over
here. I must close now, with love to all.
Kenneth O’Dell
M. G. Co., 355th Inf., A. M. E. F
August 25, 1918
Dear Mother:
I received your letter that you wrote June 16th. I have
moved around some since I last wrote and am now in the trenches, but it
is pretty quiet. I saw a German plane brought down a few days ago
by an American Flier. It rained quite a lot yesterday and the trenches
were pretty muddy last night and today, but are getting dry again now.
We have the Vickers heavy gun but have not used it any yet since we have
been in the trenches. I don’t know how long we will be in the trenches
here, and don’t know whether they will take us where it is livier or leave
us in this sector. I would like to tell your right where I am so
you could look it up on the map, bit I don’t think it would get through
if I should. I have not met any of the boys from Mansfield.
I am sure glad to hear that the crops are good. I have only got three
of the New York Worlds yet and they were so old that I didn’t find much
news, as we get the New York Herald printed in Paris and sold by the Y.
M. C. A., and we generally get it the next day after it is printed, or
soon after. The towns are pretty well shot up around here.
We have a fine place to take a bath as there is a lake here and the outlet
is dammed up and a stream running through makes a fine shower bath.
We don’t have much to do here in the trenches, but keep a close watch on
the Huns. The Y. M. C A. and the Salvation Army have their huts up
pretty close to the trenches and anyone over there can not realize how
they help to keep the boys cheered up. They sell stuff to the boys
at cost, but have a hard time getting in supplies sometimes. The
generally have a phonograph or a piano and one enjoys a little music sometimes
when not busy. It is not necessary to put------division on the letters.
I must close and answer Dean’s letter. Your loving son,
Kenneth
|
Bradford County PA
|
Chemung County NY
|
Tioga County PA
|
|
Published On Tri-Counties Site On 11/20/2003
By Joyce M. Tice
Email: JoyceTice@aol.com
You are the
visitor since the counter was installed on 20 NOV 2003 |
 |
|
