Syren, Luxemburg

Mar. 24 – 1919

 

Dear Anna:

 

            Received your letter of Feb. 27^th with dollar enclosed a couple of days ago and was very glad to hear that you are all well.

            We have been sitting around all [day?] waiting for inspection.  We worked hard to get ready for the inspection as we expected the inspecting officer this morning.  I had to stop writing as the inspector arrived.  It only took about fifteen minutes.  They are checking to see if we need anything in the way of clothes and equipment.  We are supposed to be fully equipped before we leave for home.

 

            I received a letter from John Dahl and he is still waiting to leave for home.  He was supposed to leave in December but for some reason or other they did not get away.

 

            I am enclosing a picture of the platoon in front of the tunnel.  The four men with rifles are the guards.  Of the bunch there are only eight of us who left Chicago with the company.  So you can see that there are not many of the old men left.

 

I have heard nothing new as to when we are going to leave.

 

I am still feeling as well as ever and I am taking good care of myself as I do not want to get sick when it is so close to the time for us to go home.  Well this will be all for this time.

 

                                                Love to all

                                                            Theo

 

 

(Received 4/16/19)

Note: The photo referred to was posted with the 3/15/1919 entry.  TLT

Syren, Luxemburg

Mar. 19, 1919

 

Dear Anna,

 

            Received your letters of Feb 22^nd and 25^th and Mabel’s letter of Feb 25^th.  Dollar bill and socks arrived in good shape.  We are getting ready to leave her in about ten days.  If all of our stuff is in good shape, the sooner we will get on the ships bound for home.  We do not know what port we are going to sail from.

 

From what I have read in the papers the “Rainbow Division” is going to sail from Antwerp, Belgium.  I do not think I will get a furlough as we will be on our way home before the last bunch returns.  I think they will have to join us when we are on our way.

 

            The weather has been pretty good the last week or more.  It gets pretty cold at night but it does that during the summer also.  We were inoculated again today for typhoid and I think we received an injection of 2,500,000,000 germs.  I expect to have a sore arm tomorrow.  These injections must do some good as I very seldom hear of a case of typhoid fever over here.

 

            I think I will do the same as Ella’s cousin when I get home.  It will feel so good to get home I will not want to leave the house.  I do not know of anything more to write about so I will close with

 

                                                            Love to all

                                                                        Theo

 

(Received 4/10/19)

Syren Luxemburg

Mar. 15, 1919

 

Dear Mother:

 

            Received Anna’s letter of Feb 21^st a couple of days ago and was very glad to hear you are all well.  We are still at the same place but I think that by the time this letter reaches you we will be started on our way home.  If nothing goes wrong we ought to leave here in a few weeks. 

 

            Received a post card from Cousin Emma from Palm Beach, Fla.  That certainly is a better place to be this time of the year than over here.

 

            We were paid the other day and I expect we will get our next pay just before we go on board the transport. 

 

            We are having the finest kind of weather right now.  It is warm and clear all day and it get[s] pretty cool at night.  We have a heavy frost every night.

 

            We have all the clothes we need and when we have to hike with our full packs we wish we did not have so much clothes to carry.

 

            The company clerk is going to find out what he can about the Liberty Bond.  He says his bond had been sent to his home a short while ago.

 

            I wish I could make this letter longer but it is hard to think of anything to write about, as there is nothing doing here at all.

 

                                                                        Love to all

                                                                                    Theo

Syren Luxemburg

Feb. 27, 1919

 

Dear Mabel:

 

            Received your letter of Feb 5^th and Anna’s of Feb 3^rd yesterday and they certainly made good time.  The company moved last Sunday and I arrived here on Monday as I had to stay behind at the guard house and watch the prisoners until Monday when we turned them over to another company.   The platoon I am in is guarding a railroad tunnel at this place.  The tunnel is about 5/8 of a mile long and was built by the Germans.  It goes through a large hill and it [is] used only by freight trains.  We are living in barracks and have real beds to sleep in.  The rest of the company is in the town of Oitengen (Olingen?) about three miles from here.  Everything is fine except the weather.  It rains nearly all of the time which makes it pretty miserable.  I received a letter from John Dahl in which he enclosed a five dollar bill.  He was afraid I had not been paid yet.  That makes seven dollars I owe him.  He thinks he will be leaving for the states pretty soon and chances are you will see him before I do so you can pay him for me.  The razor blades and leads that you and Anna sent arrived in good shape.

 

            We have some pretty definite dope as to when we are going to leave.  We are slated to leave in the early part of May or sooner.  Of course that is, if they have enough transports.  I am glad to hear that you are all feeling so well.  I am feeling fine considering the kind of weather we are having.  Well this is all the news for this time.

 

                                                                        Love to all

                                                                                    Theo

 

 

(Received 3/22/18)

Note:  The photo above shows Theo's platoon in front of the tunnel they aare guarding.  Theo is in the second to last row in the center of the railroad tracks.  TLT