YMCA - CAMP LOGAN, TEXAS
My dear Mother & Dad:
I presume you have received my wire acknowledging receipt of the $70.00 for my fare home and for which I thank you. Last night I went to see Captain Hill, asking him to let me go on furlough as quickly as possible, informing him that dad was pretty sick and that I was anxious to get home as soon as I possibly could. He told me that he would be leaving for Ft. Sill, Oklahoma to attend the officer's School of Fire (Artillery) and that he would speak to Lt. Fiebig who will have charge of the Battery during his absence, about letting me go as soon as possible. So tonight, after the Captain leaves I'll go up and see the lieutenant and have a talk with him.
I'd dearly love to come home in time to celebrate my birthday there, but don't think it will be at all possible, for it takes a couple of days to process the papers through the Adjutant's Office alone, thence to the Colonel for his signature and then back to the Adjutant's Office again. Yipes! Too much red tape. However, I'll keep on top of the situation, you may be sure. The rest of the boys in my section are beginning to kid me, knowing how anxious I am to leave for home, calling me "Kid Furlough", and saying to me, "Well George, did your furlough com through yet?", or "When are you leaving us, George?" etc. So you can begin to see what a burning issue it has become here with me...
Jack Crowley and I have become the regimental electricians and yesterday Capt. Bass of Supply Company called upon us to wire the new schoolhouse for the officers which the regimental carpenters built in back of the Colonel's quarters. It was a rush job and we put in the required 13 lights in just one afternoon and the officers held school there that night. Captain Bass was highly grateful to us and thanked us profusely for doing a good job.
Yesterday afternoon I watched a negro regiment (the old 8th Illinois Infantry) leave camp, bound for Hoboken, N. Jersey. They're going right over for their luggage and gear is all marked "American Expeditionary Forces" (AEF). Detachments of their regiment have been leaving for the past few days. They were fully equipped carrying packs, canteens, rifles, sidearms, gas masks, etc. They're a wonderful marching regiment and perfect in drilling techniques. It has always been a pleasure to watch them...
I've been planning my trip and route home and haven't quite decided whether or not to go through New Orleans - which I'd love to do. But I think I'll decide on the shortest route directly for home when the time comes. Was that a nice enjoyable route that you took back here? I'd like to pick the most scenic route if possible.
Yesterday it was fiercely hot here, but today it's cool and lcloudy. Ina tells me more about the farm now under contemplation in each letter of hers. Oh, how I hope it comes true. Gee, nothing would make me happier than living the life of a farmer - I think. I wish this damn war was over, if only for that reason alone. And let's go to California... Just think what it would mean for your health, Dad. In that mild climate I know your health would improve immeasurably - in fact we'd all be healthy... So let's keep it in mind.
Last night I made a nice little writing table for our tent. Yesterday we were ordered to take down our stoves and we have the table now right under the light in the center where the stove sat. Four can sit around it at one time and we keep several magazines and reading matter on it to decorate and adorn it. Looks real home-like.
Gee, I just can't wait till I board one of these old 16th Street Car Specials on my way home from the R.R. station. I'll be craning my neck out of the window like a 10 year old taking in all the familiar sites of the neighborhood. I can just picture the kids running up the greet me. I may decide to surprise you instead of telling you the day that I'm due home -- but at any rate of one thing you may be sure - I'LL BE THERE!
It's about time to bring this to a close - and by the way how do you like this stationery? I'm writing this in the "Y" and they ran out of writing paper, so I'm using this wrapping paper instead.
Here's looking forward to being with all of you again soon...
With love, your son
(signed) George
I presume you have received my wire acknowledging receipt of the $70.00 for my fare home and for which I thank you. Last night I went to see Captain Hill, asking him to let me go on furlough as quickly as possible, informing him that dad was pretty sick and that I was anxious to get home as soon as I possibly could. He told me that he would be leaving for Ft. Sill, Oklahoma to attend the officer's School of Fire (Artillery) and that he would speak to Lt. Fiebig who will have charge of the Battery during his absence, about letting me go as soon as possible. So tonight, after the Captain leaves I'll go up and see the lieutenant and have a talk with him.
I'd dearly love to come home in time to celebrate my birthday there, but don't think it will be at all possible, for it takes a couple of days to process the papers through the Adjutant's Office alone, thence to the Colonel for his signature and then back to the Adjutant's Office again. Yipes! Too much red tape. However, I'll keep on top of the situation, you may be sure. The rest of the boys in my section are beginning to kid me, knowing how anxious I am to leave for home, calling me "Kid Furlough", and saying to me, "Well George, did your furlough com through yet?", or "When are you leaving us, George?" etc. So you can begin to see what a burning issue it has become here with me...
Jack Crowley and I have become the regimental electricians and yesterday Capt. Bass of Supply Company called upon us to wire the new schoolhouse for the officers which the regimental carpenters built in back of the Colonel's quarters. It was a rush job and we put in the required 13 lights in just one afternoon and the officers held school there that night. Captain Bass was highly grateful to us and thanked us profusely for doing a good job.
Yesterday afternoon I watched a negro regiment (the old 8th Illinois Infantry) leave camp, bound for Hoboken, N. Jersey. They're going right over for their luggage and gear is all marked "American Expeditionary Forces" (AEF). Detachments of their regiment have been leaving for the past few days. They were fully equipped carrying packs, canteens, rifles, sidearms, gas masks, etc. They're a wonderful marching regiment and perfect in drilling techniques. It has always been a pleasure to watch them...
I've been planning my trip and route home and haven't quite decided whether or not to go through New Orleans - which I'd love to do. But I think I'll decide on the shortest route directly for home when the time comes. Was that a nice enjoyable route that you took back here? I'd like to pick the most scenic route if possible.
Yesterday it was fiercely hot here, but today it's cool and lcloudy. Ina tells me more about the farm now under contemplation in each letter of hers. Oh, how I hope it comes true. Gee, nothing would make me happier than living the life of a farmer - I think. I wish this damn war was over, if only for that reason alone. And let's go to California... Just think what it would mean for your health, Dad. In that mild climate I know your health would improve immeasurably - in fact we'd all be healthy... So let's keep it in mind.
Last night I made a nice little writing table for our tent. Yesterday we were ordered to take down our stoves and we have the table now right under the light in the center where the stove sat. Four can sit around it at one time and we keep several magazines and reading matter on it to decorate and adorn it. Looks real home-like.
Gee, I just can't wait till I board one of these old 16th Street Car Specials on my way home from the R.R. station. I'll be craning my neck out of the window like a 10 year old taking in all the familiar sites of the neighborhood. I can just picture the kids running up the greet me. I may decide to surprise you instead of telling you the day that I'm due home -- but at any rate of one thing you may be sure - I'LL BE THERE!
It's about time to bring this to a close - and by the way how do you like this stationery? I'm writing this in the "Y" and they ran out of writing paper, so I'm using this wrapping paper instead.
Here's looking forward to being with all of you again soon...
With love, your son
(signed) George
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