The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-01-03
LETTERS FROM THE
BOYS. IN THE CAMP

MS S0E:
New York Receiving Ship, Brook
Ign, N. Y December "a, 191S.-Dear
Folks: AS il is getting near Christ
mas | think ought to write few
lines and let you know how am get
ting along and all about the latest
news
l am feeling fine and hope you all
all ire the same. How is the flu
Soming along?
The weather here is simply wonder
yul as we haven't really had cold
day yet this winter. The sun is
thinning good ard warm and it
seems just like spring, which Incl
IDENTIFY makes me kind of homesick
II wish could be home for Christmas,
but like thousands of others it falls
my lot to be away. Will surely be
home for next Christmas.
We are busy today decorating the
mess hall with holly wreaths and
Christmas trees. Will be real home
like when we are through. Christ
mas afternoon we are going to feed
200 poor children of New York We
are going to have a grand Christmas
dinner too, turkey, mashed potatoes,
cranberries ard everything
Most of the fellows have gone home
on a furlough ard if l weren't in the
mess hall | would ask for one too.
anyway / am going. to ask for a five
or. ten day leave and then go UP and
visit Walt at Cambridge if l can
get it.
l sure got shock the other day.
| picked up a paper and as ] was
looking over the casualty list / saw
Eddie Lurdberg listed among those
who died from wounds. 1t certainly
/ is too bad as Eddie was good kid
Have you heard from Oscar yet
haven't received any letter from
him stree he vert to France. :.
Last Friday l met great friend
of Waits in New York. He is c.
p. o. ard was real rice fellow.
He set me up to fine feed and took
me TO a show After the show he
took me up to his room at the Prince
George hotel ard / slept with him in
real bed. Gee it felt good.
didn't get time to finish this let :
ter so I'll finish it row-and this is
Christmas afternoon. The weather
is great, the sun is shining nice and
bright. All that is lacking is some
snow or the ground. am sending
home the menu card to show you
what We had, for Christmas dinner
Gee but it was some feed. l never
had the slightest idea of me eating
my Christmas dinner ir New York
one year ago today. But l think it
was worth it, In civilian life the
meal or food / ate for dinner would
have cost very. rear SIS.
What kird of dinner did you folks
have? I'll bets was kind of lone
some this year, u wasn't it? Well
Walt ard i will surely be home by
next Christmas,
! I got a nice letter from w. d. Will
hard Ind he told me about the doings
Fin. Kato. He, also enclosed a Christ
mas present which / deeply appre-
ciate.
This afternoon we served 800 poor
children of New York ard it was
fun to see them dig into some real
food. After the feed they were en-
tertained by vaudeville show of
young actors. Tonight there is 60
irg to be good vaudeville and mo-
tionpicture show too. l am going to
attend and go to bed early. I could
go to New York if wanted to and
see lots Of entertainments but as il
is almost impossible to go ashore
without spending money l decided to
save the cash / got.
Am sorry that you haven't heard
anything from Oscar yet. l pray God
that he isE.'t seriously gassed and
that we will soon hear from him.. l
hope he had A Merry Christmas
wherever he was.
Well / cart think of any more
rews for this time so must close.
With lots of love from your loving
son, Robert.
Somewhere in France. November
%, 1918. Dear Uncle, Aunt and
| Cousins: am going to try and an
swer your letters which l have re-
ceived. / was surely glad to hear
from you all l ear say | am well
and l hope you are all the same.
suppose you have beer. wondering
bow it is with me, beirg as l have
not written to you before. / could not
write before as l have been on the
| hattlefields for some time and | can
| thank God that got out of ia all right
and / did not get wounded. l can
| tell you that we had. some large bat
| tie there for awhile. l have few
| DAYS vacation now so l an now in a
! little city and having a good time af
| ter long time of fighting at the
front. AS l read in your letter you
heard that I was wounded, but that
is rot so. That card does not mean
that we are wounded unless we don't
write those lines over, and | must
have forgotten to do so or the card
| sent to Ernest. Now don't worry
/ because have been well ever since
| arrived here. / will be glad when
| can come home to dear old U. S. A
again. Well l must close now fol
this time. With love and A Merry
4 Christmas ard A Happy New Yeal
to you all. Your nephew. Karl o
! Gustayson.
R. X. Williams of Lake Crystal is
in receipt of the following letter from
7 his soI, Clyde E. Williams.
/ Sunday, November "a, 1918. Deal
Father: This being the day when al
the boys of the A. Z. F. write thei
father. will also do so this Sunda!
fevening.
! Now that the war is over ou