The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-12-11
W. =. peane, France

Mrs E. u. Dean, OF DenisOn, mas
handed the Review two interesting
letters recently received by her from
her son, Pvt. W. e. Dean, now sery-
ing in France. The letters follow:
In France, Nov. 5, 1918.
Dear Mother and Sis:
will try and write you q few lines
this evening as haven't written for
some time. am enjoying the best OF
health and hope this will find you the
same. / just had supper and am lying
on my bed on my stomach, writing
this by the light of candle. Isn't
that some position to be in writing?
But l am used to that.
We are having very wet and sloppy
weather over here now. Seems like
it rains every day and night.
suppose you are reading the good
news these days. It sure sounds good
to us.
i am driving truck here. I worked
nights last week, but am on days this
week. / am on bread truck. We
haul bread to all the camps and little
towns around here where soldiers are
training. We made n miles last night
and hauled nine tons of bread. Isn't
that lot Of bread The same truck
runs day and night with two crews Of
men, When the day men come to sup
per the night drivers take the truck
right out again. III
/ like this work fine so far only the
nights are little too cool now to be
comfortably but I have plenty Of
clothes and manage to keep warm. III
shese you will be comfortably fixed this
winter. d
IL was in hopes / would get to spend
part of this winter at home at least.
And I've not altogether given up
hope yet. But that sounds q little too
good. to be true as the winter - prac-,
ticaldy here now. / can't think Of
much to write outside OF letting you
know that i am well and getting along
fine and weigh 100. And the other
night over to Mt. Perhard / weighed
1879 with my OvercOat on. Well, I
guess III close for this time.
Hoping to hear from you soon, I
remain as ever, with love and best
wishes, your son, w. b. Dean.
& II. In France, Nov. 9, 1918.
Dear Mother:
Al few lines to you this evening will
be the end of another perfect day. I
am. feeling unusually good tonight.
Just got in from my run little chilly,
but got warm and thought would
just write you few lines. Perhaps
it will be only very few but it will
serve to let you know that everything
is o. X. in France so far as am con-
cerned.
The war news from the front nun
dred or SO miles northeast of here is
real music to us back here in the s..
10. s. You will Of course read all
about. 1t long before this reaches you.
And | am quite sure as you read this
Ieace win be declared. The Germans
are whipped. How could write more
news than that, which alone is enough
to bring JOY to every American home.
The day Of reckoning is here when the
hun will pay the first installment for
the misery they have wrought. This
victory Is worth the price and for
one don't begrudge the government
one minnie ! have spent in the SER
vice; 1t goes without saying that the
lite ofsa soldier is not all sunshine.-In
fact, far from it. But who is better
fitted than we for this work; young,
strong, healthy men equal to any
emergency has spelled victory for lis.
, And nowit will he only a. matter OF
time until we will be homeward
hound. Our ocean voyage this time
will be filled with pleasant thoughts
compared with the ones before when
the stern, set faces Of the men about
YOU and the thoughts Of lurking
submarine would make you think
twice before you would finally yield
to the motion of the big boat and a
kind Of "a restless sleep come to you.
And If the tentilator right over my
head wasn't working just right and
pumping plenty of cool sfreshtai from;
the top deck down to us or If the big
propeller would STOP, for any reason,
which they did sometimes, always at
night, would wake up instantly and
sit up listening for something to hap
pen. The necessity of being on the
alert was SO drilled into US suppose
that any change in the motion of the.
air or the swaying Of the ship or the
vibration of the engines would awaken
us.
II don't suppose this interest you
much so I'll just, cut it out and get
~ r L.