Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1942-10-01
Letter From Clarence w. Griest

Letter From Clarence w. Griest
Following are extracts of a let
ter written by Pvt. Clarence w.
Griest to Mrs. Grace GLADDEN., Nal
ia route three. Pvt. Griest's moth
.er died when he was eight years old
and Mrs. GLADDEN. took him into her
home, caring for him from that
time on:
Pullman, Wash,
September IA, 1912.
Will answer your letter received
a few days ago. 1t came through
Salt Lake City. They send our
mail on to us. Well here / am get
ting further away all the time.
am out in the last state west now,
Washington; am only about 200
miles from the Pacific ocean. l am
a long, long ways from Ohio, and
have been seeing lots of nice coun-
try. This west is sure fine, pretty
country. 1t takes mail from four
to six days to reach me from Ohio.
was sent up here Sept. 1st to
take an advanced course in aerial
radio and gunnery; won't start to
school before October 1st Will be
here four months, and then right
,On across the ocean to the front.
Will be glad to get over there and
man, at the Washington state col
lege. The army took over part Of
the college buildings. We live in
.dormitories, and eat in a college
dining room. 1t doesn't seem like in
army camp at all. We are in the
foothills Of the mountains in the
best wheat land in the world
wheat wherever you look There
are 1900 people living here, AID
1900 students going to College I
play lots cf golf here. We have q
nice course. The weather here is
much like il Morgan county, and
1T seems like home, although I am
not very used TO walking UP these
big hills. I will be here until Feb
ruary anyhow. l hope this finds
everyone well.
l haven't been to church as yet .
here. Some of the boys were up to F
the Nazarene church last night.
was on K. P. Sunday so didn't set
to go. VIII go next Sunday. 1t
has rained once since I have been
up here. They say it gets very cold
here in the winter. Am going to
try and get a furlough when I get
through this school, but don't think
they will let me have one. We are
not in the apple country. | don't
see much fruit of any kind. They
are just harvesting the wheat. 1t
must be spring wheat Last week
saw 40 acre field of it burn to
the ground. 1t was quite a loss.
We don't have much to do, just
little K. p. once in while, and it
gets tiresome sometimes This is a
large college here. They teach ev-
cry kind of subjects-even religion.
They have large dairy and big
herd of Holsteins and some very
nice horses.
The football team started prac-
tice last week. I will get to see
some of the big colleges play here
in the big stadium. The team has
a 200 pound Cougar for a mascot.
He is very tame and / have petted
him lot. AS soon as / get paid
am going to take a lot of pictures
here and will send you, some. We
have a YMCA here on the campus.
We go there lot to read and play
games. This is just like going to-
college here. l never thought l
would be attending college, as old
as l am. | got weighed yesterday;
weighed $50 pounds--quite a gain
over 128 pounds when 1 came into
the army. My clothes are getting
too small for me now. You wouldn't l
know me. My hair is turning gray,
pretty fast.
l have some fine fellows here {
with me. There are four of us in
a room. There are two from Mas l
and one from North
Carolina with me. They are 2S, 21 G
and % years old One of them is I
q Russian. He is a swell guy. Ev-
eryone calls me "Criss' The young s
fellows say I seem like a big broth |
er to them. They ask me advice
about things and I tell them the
best l know how. There are not
so many girls here.
College does not start until Sept.
24th. We graduated a class of 100
radio men last week. and gave them '
big banquet. I was one Of the '
walters. Wore o. d. pants, tan