Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1918-12-27
Bourges, France,
November "a, 1918.
Dear Father:

Dear Father:
You no doubt have read in the
papers of the plans they have made
for Fathers Christmas Letter" The
last copy of the Stars and Stripes |
sent you will give you very good
idea of the plan. | have been think
ing about this letter for the past / 0
days and wondering what | could
write that might be Of interest to
you, something that | had not al
ready written, and at the last mo-
ment they have come to our rescue
and told us that we might write
about most anything, as these letters
would not be censored. So | am go
ing to tell you as best | can just what
| have been doing the past 10 months
since | arrived in France and of some
Of my experiences
| can not write as interesting a
letter as some of the boys will be able
to do, as | have not had the oppor-
tunity of going over the top or even
being near the firing line. 1t was
not by request that | was sent to the
Central Records Office, for | have
wished more than once that | was
thick of it, but all we can do is to dig
in and do whatever they put us at,
as it all has to be done.
Every man in the L. S. army is
classified at the time he enters the
service, and from this record the men
are put where they are best fitted
and where they will be of most value
to the service. So they must have
decided that | would be of more
benefit here than elsewhere, to my
sorrow, as | have spent the entire | 0
months in France in the Central
Records Office, and during that time
| have not missed a days work and
have worked most of my Sundays
and considerable night hours, so
think the boys here have been doing
their bit as well as the ones at the
front.
Before / go any further | will Just
give you an idea of what large or
ganization the Central Records Of
flee is and just what we are doing.
TO begin with, when the boys go on
board the ship for overseas service
they make out what we call Pas
senger List This includes the name
Der and present organization. Upon
his arrival at a base port in France
this list is sent direct to this office
From it we make out a card for every
man, giving his name in full rank
number and organization. These
cards are keptAin an alphabetical file
and are the foundation of every
mans record in the A. E. f. These
cards are kept up to date. showing
every move the man makes while in
France. BY that | mean that every
transfer Il man makes from one or
ganization to another is put on the
card so we will know Just where he
is at all times.
In connection with this office the
post office handles all their dead
mail. For instance you address a
letter TO someone over here and by
the time the letter reaches his or
ganization he may have transferred
in such cases the letters are forward
ed here and from these cards the
post office force is able to get his
present company and forward the let
tiers on to him. SO you can see how
important it is that every man in the
A. e. f. has card. In many cases
where the boys are no. getting their
mail it is all due to the fact that lac
has no card on file here and they are
unable to locate him. or course
these cards are very easily misfled
and mistakes are bound to happen
here the same as in any other bust
ness.
We have several other complete
records of each man to insure accur
acy and which are also very neces
sary. / can not go into details abou
our work here too much or | never
Will get this letter finished and
think / have other things to tell Vol
THAI will be of more interest to yo,
and ! can wait till get home to tel
you all about this. and | certainly
nope IT will not be very long. | will
tell you just what | am doing befor,
leaving this subject.
When | first went TO work owe
mere | was put in what is known al
the Army Serial Number Section. an,
nave worked at this ever since, an,
at present am in charge of the de
parlment. which / have told you be
lore. The army serial number is