Will, Grace, and World War One

Excerpts from September 28, 1918 My Dear Grace - Well I am not going to write a hard luck letter this time, but just tell you of what a good time I have been haveing the past few days. Last Monday night Mr Lucas gave a party it being his first year in France, we had a swell dinner t the Hotel Pretty, the two girls that work in the office, one French the other Mexican[?], both quite nice girls for parties but not much on business. Pat, Mr. Bickle Myself and a Irish Lass, from Dubline, and she is some girl, spoke with a Irish brogue, that is certainly appealing, and at their request, I took her home, of course you know I didn't want to, Ha! Ha! We had the Table all trimmed up with flours, flours at each place, and eight courses chicken + etc and I believe they did have a little wine, but, the water is not fit to drink, so you can excuse that can't you then Wed. night we all went to one of the camps to a show, a band concert, and a big dance, I did not dance, but I c...

Grace kept the September 27, 1918, edition of The Stars and Stripes , courtesy of Will:

Will saved a 188-page book called Explaining the Britishers by an American (Frederic William Wile) published in London in late 1918. It explained British history, government, culture, and war experiences to arriving doughboys.

Excerpts from September 22, 1918: My Dear Grace – Rec’d letters yesterday one of July 29 and one of Aug 13 th , both just dandy letters but you see dear they come stringing along in, I have all ready had a letter dated Aug 23d so you might ask questions and It would be no use of my answering them This is Sunday morning, and it is raining to beat the band, I don’t see why any one should push the button on Sunday A. M. do you, I was just figuring on taking a nice long walk out in the country to-day as we will not get many more Sundays this fall. that we can get out in the country I am at the office writeing and I did want to read your letters again before I wrote but they are in the room. I got the pictures and they are just great, the one of you with the paddle, my you are looking good, in fact I should say swell, I’ll say this, that I haven’t seen any French girl over here that can hold a candle to you, and believe me there are some swell lookers here too, The pict...

Excerpts from September 20, 1918: My Dear Grace – Rec’d your letters of Aug 14 – 16 th last night about five weeks, they were certainly grand letters, not like the last one. and the pictures Grace, they are just great, the one of you, County and Snowball, It made me a little homesick, But I mustn’t tell you about that. You certainly are looking good, I guess it agrees with you to have me away, you have no one to bother you, Well I am glad you are looking so well, I think you were a little run down when I left… I am enclosing a copy of a letter sent ot the A. Y.M.C.A in New York, to see if I can not get you an increase, in your allowance we have got to have money when I get home as I do not want to be broke, so if they write you let me know, It is impossible for me to save any thing over here a great many o the boys can, but they are situated different than Pat and I, it cost’s like the dickens in La Havre… I am going to send you one of our magazines, printed here in...

Grace kept the September 20, 1918, edition of The Stars and Stripes, which included these snippets:

Excerpts from September 13-14, 1918: My Dear Grace - Well I have been to Paris and am now back again, and believe me I am glad to get back, just like coming home, after being away for a couple of weeks, I left last Tuesday night, could not go on the fast train which leaves here at 5: o'clock and gets to Paris at 9:30, but had to take the slow one left here at 9- arrives in paris the next A.M about 5:30, and its not a sleep either, but I rolled up on a seat and had a pretty good nights rest altho as soon as I got to the hotel I took a nap for a couple of hours then I went to Headquarters and was there, transacting business untill noon, Called up Joe, but could not get him took a taxie and drove out there about 2:30, he has charge of one of the wards in a hospital, clear up on the top floor, Well Grace it was worth the trip to see the poor kid, he was tickled to death to see me, and I was sure glad to see him He looks quite a little older than when I saw him last, but he was ...

Grace saved the September 13, 1918, edition of the service newspaper The Stars and Stripes :

Joseph F. Nelson sent Grace a postcard of the Eiffel Tower on September 12, 1918, in which he noted a visit from "Bill" (presumably Will Foote):

Will received a letter on September 11, 1918, but only the envelope remains.

Will enclosed a few pages from the August 18, 1918 edition of the magazine Over Here in his letter. Excerpts from September 11, 1918: My Dear Grace - I received a nice long letter from Mr Musselman yesterday, he said you were quite thick with the Governor of Michigan, I tho't you would be going around with some one before I got back and as you see I have friends back home who are keeping track of you, and keeping me posted, so it behooves you to walk the straight and narrow path, Well I guess I can stand it if you were out with hime one night as Mr Musselman says he is about 60 yrs old +etc... ...I washed the collar of my dress uniform the other night and when it dried it was all wrinkled up and I have been unable so far to make it look good at all, I guess I will have to buy a new one, as this has several small holes in it & etc., There are times when one should try and fix up in A 1 shape, If I get to go to Paris, this week, I will look like a scarecrow with th...

Excerpts from September 6, 1918: My Dear Grace - Have a few moments so will drop you a few lines. Just got thro' talking with Joe. Nelson over the phone he is in Paris,... I have been given full charge of the local ware house, and am going to paris this week to fix up some matters, also to get supplies for the boys in this Div. and I told Joe. I would come and see him, he was certainly glad to hear that I was coming to Paris... I expect to go and regester for the new draft, sometime this month, But I understand that the boys in the R.C., K.C, or YMCA will be placed in a class that is not subject to call at once, However if it wasn't for the question of money for you, I would just as soon be in the Army, as in the Y. work altho I do feel, in my new position that I am doing more to help, then if I was a private in the ranks. Now that the draft is taking more of the older fellows, I wish that I could of taken the examination for the Officers training Camp when I was ...

Will sent Grace the September 4, 1918, edition (Volume 1, Number 5) of a small magazine called Over Here .

With his September 1 letter, will enclosed a copy of a letter subscribing Grace to The Stars and Stripes for six months in which he also submitted an unknown piece of news for potential inclusion in that newspaper. Excerpts from September 1, 1918: My Dear Grace - Sunday the first day of Sept. my time does fly doesn't it, has it seemed long to you dear,? When I think of you, it does seem long, but I have been so busy since I left home that it seems quite short, when I think of all the things I have done It is quite cool here to day, begins to act like fall, think I will put on little heavy underware soon, In fact I haven't been out of the house this afternoon on account of its not begin warm, but Pat and I are going for a walk soon... This division of the Y M C A is growing by leaps and bounds now days we get several new sectors every day, It has been quite nice for Pat and I that we were one of the first ones in this Div. as we can see how it has grown ...