Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-03-05
LETTERS FROM SOLDIER Roy

The following are two interesting
letters written by a young lad, of this
city, twenty-one years of age, to his
little sister, aged thirteen, and brother
aged five. The mother of this family
is dead, and the young fellow, who is
now serving his country, has been
the main support of his sister and
brother. The case is indeed sad
ore. and the boy upon enlisting, asked
that the local Red Cross support his
little sister and brother, while he was
away The children have been placed
in a good Wausau home, and the Red
Cross, the Federated Charities and a
few interested citizens are looking
after The welfare of these children,
while the brother is away at war.
These deserving children are given
every attention, such as a good Chris
| ton home to live in, schooling, and
| they attend church, and it is relief
to the unusually good young brother,
who is probably in France by this
time, to know that his dear little
sister and brother, who he had to
leave behind, are being cared for in
the best possible way. This young
lad stated before leaving Wausau,
that he would rather enlist with his
| friends as he would soon come in the
draft, and he was willing to go and
do his bit for his country.
| Camp Merritt, n j., Feb. 10, 1918.
/ My dear little sister:
| 1t has been a long time since l
heard from you and l was surely glad
to get your letter today. | am in New
Jersey now, just twelve miles from
New York City. We are awaiting or
ders to sail for France. We won't be
here very much longer now. We got
here Monday noon, February IL. 1t
took us five days and five nights to
come here from Waco. 1t was a very
mice trip and we saw a lot of beau
tiful country. We came through the
following states: Texas, Oklahoma,
Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Indiana,
Michigan, Canada, New York and
down along the Hudson river through
the Catskill mountains into New Jer-
sey. We got off at a little station
called Dumont and walked to our
camp, which was only about three
quarters of a mile. On our way here
we stopped at nearly all the big cities
and were allowed to walk around by
ourselves for couple of hours. The
mountains we came through were
very pretty and we stopped at Niagara
Falls for quite a while and we had q
, good view of the falls, which is very
pretty. l enjoyed the trip greatly
, and we were comfortable for we hat
\ nice sleepers with upper and lower
! berths.
4 will
/. nice wooden barracks, also iron cot:
= with springs and mattresses, so VIZ
have it pretty nice. We are not dolnt
: any drilling, just going out for llttl'
) hikes every morning and we la.
: around all afternoon. 1t is prett.
easy for us considering what we dom
: at Waco, drilling for eight hours. Oh
, they are giving us a good rest, 50 w
will be in good shape to work hart
when we get to France.
This is a very pretty country an
we see some of the swellest home
l when we go out on our hikes.
is raining hard this afternoon and j
If getting warmer. 1t has been col
e here and everything is frozen W
e quite a change from what it was j
II Texas. | am glad we are out of Texa
IS for / did not like it there at all,
II the weather was too changeabie.
e Now don't worry about me dea
it for | am well and healthy and al
n getting fat / am glad to hear ths
it you and brother are getting alon
d, good and hope you will both get n
:; of YOUR colds soon. You must taB
i'd good care of yourselves and kee
IN your feet dry, so you don't get pnel
Id monia. am glad TO hear that yo
H. passed into the seventh grade on tri'
W and you must be a good little girl
l. school and work hard to keep up.
he Well my little sister. ! must elo'
ch Inow and write a short letter TO lit
n brother. May God take good ca
th of you while / am away. With 10
of love from your brother"
Camp Merritt, \. J., Feb. 19, 191
Dear little brother.
Well your big soldier brother
tn sitting in the Y. NJ. c. A. this afte
Is moon thinking of his dear little brot
n er so many miles away. II is rainil
lhard outside and there is big bun