The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1918-07-18
w. r.. Campbell Writes from Great
Lakes Naval Training Station.

Dear " Folks at Home: Win write
to let you know l got here all rig NJ.
We arrived yesterday evening all Q.
k The first thing they a, had US s,, 40
and and Cigarettes eli We then went and
signed up and were then assigned to
our barracks. About six o'clock they
lined us up and marched us down to
where they issued our bed ticks.
They then marched us to large pile
of baled straw where we filled them.
We then went back to our barracks cas
ready for chow. We had potatoes;
boiled beef and onions, bread and
coffee. Went to bed at nine. A
messenger got Fred and out
about twelve at night. and took u us
| to get our blankets. and towels. Me
got up at 5 o'clock by new time. we
Coffee coli e for breakfast, We have just St
the arm. We will be in detention 2 |
days. They sure made we, guys
dress in a hurry. l got my shirt on
wrong side out last night but had TO
|let it go. l was left to guard our
barracks this morning while While the the rest 3x
picture when / have it taken.
guess / will like it all right, you
don't need to worry. We are taken
good care of. How is everybody?
Are the men through cutting wheat !?
never saw the like of corn and
small grain in my life. | never saw
but one or two punches Of cattle ana n.
How is Marie? 1 will write to every
body as soon as | get around to It.
July 8, 1918.
Dear Mother and Father and AL:
Will drop you few lines while we
are resting. How is everybody? l
am feeling fine, never felt better IN
my life We 60 to 6 %a at Mer nn on a del
tail tail duty. Our jobs were to clean
up the sick bay. We were on drill
Yesterday. Believe me, some of them
sure get bawling out. We got our
uniforms the other day. We got
two white suits, two blue, suits, II
pairs of socks and IL handkerchleIs'
ieggings and two suits OF light un.
derwear and Two hea a yo ones call au an.
barracks and wash our. clothes and
our dishes. We get plenty to eat;
We had oatmeal, prunes, bread and
coffee for breakfast. Tell Marie l
wish I had two fried chickens for
dinner. You can send us most any
thing you WduL ". INV AZ viz
looking? Are you getting ready to
thresh? When you do let me know
how many bushels of grain you had.
This is sure some camp. They say
there are 10000 sailors and in an
other year it will hold 100000, The
nights are very cold here and our
overcoats feels pretty good OF a
us about the last of the week or IN, the
first of next to another camp. They
said after our 81 days were, up that
we firemen would get ten days FUR
Tough and then we would be sent to
sea. I sure will be glad when l get
my furlough. This is a great lie
but farming is better. But neverth e.
less, it is something that mas la; got 10
be done, SO don't worry 5Ei; 49,, mere ere are are
prize fighters in our company; one
of them is the man who took the
Championship away from Jack Dill
Ion He is teaching us how to box.
| had them on with two dlfferent
guys last night. We just take two
were from s to l / and from 2 to 4.
in the morning, The Y. M. G. A.
is sure appreciated here in this
camp. 1t is a great help to we boys
About one-fourth Of our company
are married men. There are about
500 coming in every day | saw an
air ship go up the other evening. 1t
sure did some twisting around IN
some licorice. We can't get any
kind of candy out here. Whatever
YOU do, be sure and write. Tell
Marie and Clarence this letter is for
all. We have so much to do we
don't have time to write Be sure
and write. So good bye, your loving
son, Wine CanlppeL,
Old Detention, Great Lakes, Ill.,
Harry Lemley Writes From France.