The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-09-13
LETTERS FROM THE
BOYS IN ARMY CAMP

Mrs. George W. Cooper received
the following letters from her two
sons, Donald and Mike, now on the
other side:
Somewhere in France. wednesday,
August Z, 1918 Dearest Mother: I
suppose you think / and Bert are
both dead by now but we're still GO
ing. How is everyone at home? Have
you heard from Mike lately? I'm CO.
ing to write to him as soon as | get
through with this one. I'll try to
write as often as can. I'm in the
same company that Mike is in only
it's Machine Gun Battalion. Bert and
] got separated from each other so /
don't know where he is at. I'm get
ting along fine but of course I'd
rather be back in the United States.
i have had few exciting things
happen to me since I've been here.
Is everyone all right at home? How
is Walter, the girls, and grandpa?
Has Harry and Arlo gone YETI They
sure do some tall scrapping over
here. guess Til be in pretty soon.
Some fine day. Well i must close.
Tell everyone to write (Toot Sweet)
French. Your loving son Donald.
Somewhere in France, August 13,
1918. Dear Mother: Today is Sum
day and l am going to try and write
you a few lines to celebrate the oc-
casion. How is everyone at home?
I am well and enjoying myself as
much as possible and fellow can
have quite time if he goes in for
it. What are you doing for excite
ment these days or don't you have
any around Mankato? We are hav-
ing very nice weather these days
although it gets hot as the dickens
once in awhile. I am going to write
to the girls again soon. l wrote to
the girls some time ago and Doris
answered but have not heard from
Hazel. l have a nice place to sleep
and all that / want TO eat so what
more can a fellow ask for. suppose
Uncle Robert has already been there
and gone. owe him a letter and l
think l had better get busy and write
him. Has he changed much these
last few years? He writes me quite
often and he writes quite interesting
letters. I received a nice long letter
from Uncle Ellis the other day and
he says they are all well and getting
along fine. Leslie has taken upon
himself wife l see before he went
awav to war. guess it's all right and
I say more power to him.,
l am in hopes of getting a letter
pretty quick from the kids as they
must be over here on the job by this
time. What do you hear from Arlo?
l suppose he will soon be on his way
over here and also Harry. l am fig
uring strong on leave about the
first of October, that is if every
thing goes we'll We have the swell
est place to go to you ever saw and
1 want to see it before it is too late.
Well as it is time to go to dinner l
must close and take on copious
quantities of said feed. Love to all
the kids and Jim and wife. With
lots of love remain your loving
son, Mike.
Mr.. and Mrs. L. A. Malm received
the following letter from their son
Marvin.
st. Aigan. Wednesday, August IA,
1918. Dear Folks: A few lines be-
fore supper. Am at the camp l come
to from the hospital. Do not know
when l got to the company.
Am feeling pretty good now. Don't
worry, if come out as well as the
rest of the time as l have so far I'll
come home as good physically as |
left and one assurance the worst of
this war is over now and the Huns
chance is pretty slim from now on
So slim that if the army of private
knew it they would surrender by di-
visions.
Told you in my other letter that
I went to services at the "Y'' last
Sunday. Also heard a lecture about
home and the way the folks" are
hacking us up. Quite a few men
have told us about the same thing,
that the folks back home are expect
ing us home soon. Wish it were
possible to know how soon, but let's
hope for the best. Hope is what we
live on.
The weather is fine, in fact bit
too hot but the nights are nice and
cool. The camp is o. K. Plenty
of good grub. No freedom during the
day but after supper we are at lid
erty" till 10 p. m. If would only
get some mail it would not be half
bad. The last mail had was over
six weeks ago. know there will
be lot when get 1t but Oh it would
be better to get little every few
days.
Went to the "Y'' last night and
two French comedians gave us bill
that was fine. A musical act that
sure was good one.
From what some of the fellows
say that have just come over, there
are very few men that are not in the
service one way or the other. So
it should be and the efforts will soon
produce results that spell final vic
tory. We have some prisoners around
here. Not many but sample at
least. There are thousands in France
and by Christmas the entire fighting
force of Germany is going to be on
French soil; those not dead will be in
prison camps. The New York Her
cid and Chicago Tribune have editions
published daily at Paris and through
them we get a lot of news from
home.
It is hard to write long letter
and to you and Edith are the only
letters write Sure ought to ans
wer. Miss -Gustafson but you will have
TO tell her hello and give my greet
ings to the Y p. S.. Will close with |
&c.. go, ord hy.othor Marvin |