Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-09-12
Letter from Marcus Bramon

Somewhere in France,
August 10, 1918.
Dear Father and Mother.
Received your letter and check of
July 11th., sent to me at Camp Mills.
but as it did not reach me there. It
followed me to France and received
it today. l have been looking every
day for a letter from you, and /
was glad when my name was called.
thank you for the check, but do not
think will get it cashed unless I
have too as money does not do much
good where l am. and besides I am
going to try and save all can, so
when the time arrives to start home,
! will have some money to buy all of
you something as a token from
France.
One can lose lot Of money here
when you do not understand the value
OF French money, compared with U.
5. And you sure pay for what you
get in France. Can Aeroplane is just
passing over the camp headed to-
ward the front, but that is a COM
mon sight to me now.) U. S. money
is a commodity of the past with all
the boys. What French money they
have they can scarcely tell how much
it amounts too. They say that we are
paid in French money here, but do
not know as we have not received any
pay since we left Des Moines, Iowa.
received a letter from Brother Glenn
en- yesterday dated July II, same date
as one from you. Also have received
two letters from Sister, all addressed
to Camp Mills, N. Y. This is all the
mail / have had since left you folks
at DesMoines. Please write me often,
as that is my greatest pleasure read
ing letters from the dear ones at
home. Do not wait for answers from
me, as we are limited on our letters
on account Of so many boys to write,
it keeps the censor quite busy censor
ing them. l suppose you have received
my other letters / wrote you when we
first arrived at this camp, which is
our last stop. We can see Mt. Blanc
from here on a clear day. Yes, Pa,
you struck it right in regards to the
daily drill and say it is not very fasci-
mating, at least not under the condi-
lions of war time. I sure wish
could tell you about our trip on the
high seas, but we got raked over the
Goals about what we could write when
we first landed at this camp. So will
have to wait until l get back home
then I can tell you. This country is
very pretty, but things are odd to all
of us The crops here look fine es-
pecially the small grain, which we
saw all along our trip on the train
We travelled three days by rail. l do
not think you would like the job OF
running passenger train on this
railroad. It sure gets my goat when
look at their engines and cars
4 Their large box cars hold ten tons
Passenger cars are side door en-.
trance with room for about ten PEG.
pie to the section. One pair wheels
under each end constitutes the trucks
Uncle Sam has some pretty good sized
freight cars and engines here. Wait
until get home and / will sure try
and take a good rest. We have work.
ed hard every day since we arrived
here, Sunday is no exception in this
country and am guessing there il
no end to it until this war is ended
The scenery is very pretty around
our camp. Have not got lined up or
my work as yet. Several Of our boys
Eare driving cars. can do my part
Zone way or another, SO the only way il
to get to, work and do your best a,
what ever they ask you to do. One
! does not get anywhere in the army
by being Grabbed. Well, dear Pa and
r.. u - Al