Monday, December 29, 2008

Dec 29, 1918

Eitelbruck Luxemburg

 

Dear Mother:

 

            I am in Luxemburg at present.  We arrived here this morning.  We left the hospital early Thursday morning.  We left Beaune about 7:30 AM and went as far as Dijon where we had to change to different line.  We had to wait at least eight hours as the train was late.  We rode all night until about ten oclock and the[n] we had to get off at a place called St. Dizier.  We stayed there until about 6:30 pm.  We took another train which took us through Toul and Nancy.  We arrived at Metz about one oclock in the afternoon.  The depot at Metz is one of the largest I have seen since I have been over here.  We had to take another train a 6.00 oclock which took us as far as a town called Bettemburg where we had to sleep on the waiting room floor all night.  It was the warmest place I have slept in since I left home.  It was almost too warm.  We took an early morning train and arrived in the city of Luxemburg about an hour later.  We had to wait there about two hours for another train which took us to this town.  We took another train which took [us] about three miles to a small town where we reported to division h’d’q’t’s.  We returned here and are waiting for a train to take us back to the place where our company is.  Luxemburg is about the nicest country I have seen.  I had some ice cream today which was the first I have had since I left the states.  It certainly does cost some money.  I had a small dish of it and it cost 30 cents about the same as you pay for a quart.

 

            You had better address all my letters the same as always again.  That is, direct to the company.  

 

            I suppose I will receive some mail when I get with the company again as I have not received any for over two weeks.  Well this will be all this time and I will write again in a few days.  I hope you [are] all as well as I am,

 

                                                            Love to all

                                                                        Theo

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Pvt. TF Thourson

Co A 132nd Inf

AM E.F. 1390312

Beaune Fr. 12-22 1918

 

Dear Mother:

 

            I was going to write yesterday but I thought I would wait and see if there was any mail for me but no such luck.

 

            I think the division I am in is on the move as I have not received any mail for almost two weeks.  I use[d to] receive mail about twice a week anyway.  I am working at the Red Cross building now and I find that the time does not seem so long.  We hand out stationery, magazines, cigarets and playing cards, checkers and other games.

 

I do not think we will have any snow for Xmas.  It will most likely be rain as it rains pretty near every day.  We have had miserable weather for the last two weeks.  It is a good deal worse than the weather is in Chicago at this time of the year.

 

            I am in the best of health and feeling fine.  I think I will be leaving here pretty soon as they are sending a bunch away pretty near every day.  I do not know where they go from here but I think some of them go back to the states for further treatment.  They are considered the lucky ones.  Well I hope I receive some mail from home pretty soon.  Be sure and let me know how Santa Claus treated you on Xmas.

 

                                                            Love to all

                                                                        Theo

 

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Beaune France Dec 2 – 18

 

Dear Mabel

 

            I have received your letters of Oct 21st & 28th and Nov 6th and Anna’s letter of Oct 22nd.  Your Thanksgiving card I received on Thanksgiving Day.  I am still at the convalescence camp and I am feeling fine although I am not able to open my mouth very much.  I also received a letter from Aunt Anna and she says that Ray is a good deal better. 

 

I was in the trenches at Verdun when the St. Mihiel drive was going on.

 

 We did not get any turkey this year but I understand that the meat we had was veal but you cannot prove it by me because it did not taste [like] veal to me.  We had all we wanted to eat.  We even had cake which was the first I have had in France.

 

I have received all of the clippings you have sent me but have not received any more papers or packages.  I am beginning to think the fellows in the company are getting the candy.  Well they need it more than I do.

 

I received a Thanksgiving card from the Cooks yesterday and I also received a letter from Ed from New York.

 

Winge’s name is Frank and I think he is on his way home by this time.

 

We are having nice weather again but it is still muddy under foot.  We were out for a hike this morning.  It was the first time we had been out for several days.  I hope I get away from here soon and get back to the company.  I have not heard how the rest of the fellows came out but I have been told that there is an entire new bunch of fellows in the company.  They were at Camp Custer during their training period.

 

About all I do here besides going out on hikes is reading and playing checkers.  There are some good players here and we have some good games.

 

Well this is all the news I have to tell.  Hoping you [are] all well I will close with

 

                                                            Love to all

                                                                        Theo

 

Pvt TF Thourson

Co. A. 132nd Inf 1390312

American EF