France Aug 22 – 1918

 

Dear Mabel

 

            I received your letters of July 17^th and 24^th and letters #20 & 22 from Anna.  I received some of them when we were in the trenches.  We are billeted in a pretty large town (Gamaches) but there’s only one store in the town that I have seen so far.

 

            We are going to leave this place pretty soon.  I think we will travel by train.  I do not know where we are going but it is quite a distance from here.  We did not go over the top as we expected to.  We had it pretty quiet where we were.  I do not know whether I am promoted again or not but I have been put in charge of the automatic rifle squad in the headquarters platoon.  I am in with a nice bunch of fellows.  Some of them were in my squad at Camp Logan.

 

            I sent a money order for $10 home about a week ago.  I hope you got the one I sent about a month ago.

 

I write quite a few letters now that I have been receiving quite a number of them.  I wrote five of them while we were in the trenches.

 

What is Irene Cook’s address as Tolliver has lost it.  He is cooking again and is doing fine.

 

We are living in a house but it is pretty hard sleeping as the floor is made of brick.  I think I will sleep outside tonight.

           

            We are having some real hot weather right now.  Well Mabel it is getting dark so I will close with

 

                                                                        Love to all

                                                                                    Theo

 

Pvt. TF Thourson 1390312

Co. A, 132^nd Inf

American E.F.

 

(Received 9/21/18)

France Aug 14 – 1918

 

Dear Anna

 

I received your letters #18 & 19 day before yesterday and was very glad to hear that you are all well.  I did not receive Mabel’s letter so I suppose that it was delayed some place on its journey.  I received quite a bunch of letters and a bundle of papers from Eva.

 

We have moved our camp again.  The Germans have been driven back quite a way and we have moved forward several miles.  I have not heard anything this morning but I suppose they are still driving him back.  When the company left several days ago I was left behind because my feet were full of blisters and there were a bunch of others left behind to act as a guard of honor for some of the men who were going to get medals for what they did in the fight on the 4^th of July.  One of the men took sick or got hurt and I was put in his place.  It was quite an affair as King George, Gen Pershing and some French and British Generals were there.  King George pinned the medals on the fellows.

 

Cousin Sigrid must have traveled around Chicago some during her stay.

 

We are having some warm weather right now.  I think it is about the warmest we have had it since we arrived here.  It is time we are having some dry weather as it rained pretty near every day for a month or more.

 

John Dahl had better get all the sleep he can while he is in the states as he will not get very much here if he ever get[s] near the firing line.

 

I do not blame Arthur Knudsen for playing as much tennis as he can as he will not get much chance if he ever get[s] on board ship.

 

I have not seen a movie or a ball game in months.  I see the English soldiers playing soccer football every once in a while but it does not compare with baseball.

 

Now that you can get all the fresh vegetables you want it helps to cut out meat on meatless days.

 

I received another letter from Edna and she said she put up a lot of vegetables while Irene was out at the lake.  She must be getting to be quite a housekeeper.

 

Well if we can only keep the Germans on the run the War might end sooner than some expect.

 

I saw a couple of tanks going toward the front yesterday.  It was the first time I have ever had a close view of them.  They certainly get the German’s goat.

 

Well this will be all for this time.

 

                                                            Love to all

                                                                        Theo

 

Pvt. T.F. Thourson   1,390,312

Co. A.  132^nd Inf

American E.F.

 

 

 

Note:  The Division is still on the British front.            

France, Aug 8 1918

 

Dear Mother,

 

            I receive three or four letters from Anna and Mabel the other day.  I have them packed in my roll right now as we are going to move to another place so I cannot tell you what the numbers are.  We have had a good deal of rain lately so everything is pretty muddy.  I am feeling fine although my feet have been a little sore but I have had them fixed up so they are in pretty good shape.

 

            I am going to send $10 home in a day or so.  I do not like to have to[o] much money on me and it is hard to spend very much unless you drink a lot of wine,

 

            We were paid a few days ago and I have paid my last installment on my Liberty Bond so you ought to be receiving it pretty soon.  Anna says that you folks have been buying quit a few W.S. Stamps.

 

            We are not having much warm weather here and it gets pretty cool at night.  I hope this war ends pretty soon as I think it will as the Germans seem to be on the run right now.

 

A half dozen airships just passed over our camp just now on their way to the front.  It is great to watch them flying over the German lines and the German[s] shooting all around and cannot hit them.  I have seen thousands of shots fired at them but I have never seen one brought down.

 

Well I do not know of anything more I can write about just now so I will close with

 

                                                                        Love to all

                                                                                    Theo

 

1390312

Pvt T.F, Thourson

Co A 132^nd Inf

American EF

 

 

(Received 9/4/18)