Beaaune, France, 11/23/18

Dear Anna:

 

            I received yur letter of Oct, 10th., 15^th   and 17^th and Mabel’s of the 6^th and 15^th. I also received two from Eva.  I have not received any more packages, the two I received were from London.  I certainly thought I would get the packages from Paris before this.

 

            I am still at the convalescence camp and I am feeling just the same as ever. I am glad to hear that you have all escaped the “Flu” so far.

 

            I wonder what Alfred Johnson will do without Mrs. Johnson.  I bet he will be lonesome. You remember how he was when she took the trip to Sweden.

 

            I have not received any candy rations as yet and I have not heard of anybody that has.  Suppose it takes time to get the stuff over here in large enough quantities to give it to all of us at once.

 

            The tomatoes that you have at home will not last two years after I get home as I think I will be able to eat a jar every day myself.

 

            Am glad to hear you did so well on Tag Day. Guess people are used to donating money so it has become a habit.

 

            We have the finest kind of weather since the firing stopped, we are all wondering if that has anything to do with it.

 

            I read an article in the paper yesterday that we are allowed to mention a lot of things we were not allowed to before.  This hospital is right near the town of Beaune.  If you have a map you will find it right near the city of Dijohn.  I was wounded near Forges, which is a short way from Verdun. Have heard that our regiment did some hared fighting but do not know how it made out in the way of killed and wounded.

 

            A hospital unit arrived here yesterday and I understand they landed in France the day the armistice was signed. Suppose they were quite disappointed because they did not get here before the fighting stopped, but I think they were lucky.

 

            Suppose the Xmas package coupon was late in reaching you, if the mail was late.

 

            I do not expect to get as good a dinner this Thanksgiving as I did last year but I have no kick coming as I am still alive and kicking while there are so many fellows who have been killed and crippled.

            I understand a bunch of patients left here this morning for the states. There are fellows who cannot be used over here and are called Class “D”.  I am I Class “A” and fs the fighting was still going on would be sent to the front by this time. Strange things happen sometimes and maybe I will be on my way home when you get this letter. Nobody knows when they will be sent home or who is going first.

France Nov 18 – 1918

 

Dear Mabel

 

            I am still in the convalescence camp and I do not know when I am going to leave here.  I was examined on Sunday and expected to leave here this morning and join my company.  For some reason or other they are not going to send anybody out of here for a few days.

 

My mouth bothers just as much as ever but the doctor says it will be alright in time.

 

I just returned from a long hike.  We go out on a hike every day and the weather is just right for walking.  I also got my overcoat today so now I am ready for the cold and winter weather.  I have not received any mail in over a week now.  After I leave here it will take some time for it to catch up with me.  I would like to get back to the company again but I am afraid I would not see many of the old fellows as I understand it has nearly all new fellows in it now.  I met a fellow yesterday who said our brigade had been in some tough fight after I left it.

 

I have not heard from Enoch yet although it is quite a while since I wrote him a letter.  I am pretty sure his company was in the big drive because I know his division was.

 

Well Mabel this is all the news I have to write about so I will close with

                                                                       

                                                                        Love to all

                                                                                    Theo

 

Pvt TF Thourson

Co A 132^nd Inf 1390312

American EF

 

(Received 12/11/18)

France Nov 14 – 1918

 

Dear Mother,

            I have not received any mail in the last few days but I thought I might as well write and let you know that I am still alive and well.  I am at the convalescence camp now.  I was sent here on Tuesday.  I do not know how long I will be kept here but I hope it will not be very long.  According to all of the latest news I think the war is over.  I do not think the Germans will want to start it again.

 

You had better tell the girls not to send me any more papers, magazines, or packages as I am liable to be change around a good deal in the next couple of months and I may never get back to my company.  I cannot open my mouth yet but I think it will be alright in a short while.

 

I suppose there was a lot of noise in Chicago when the news, that there was an armistice was signed, reached there.  The French people around here certainly did celebrate. 

 

I guess some of the fellows will get home by Christmas but I think they will be those who are wounded.

 

I have not heard from my company since I have been here and I have no idea as to where they are. 

 

There is nothing new to write about so I will close with

 

                                                            Love to all

                                                                        Theo

 

Pvt TF Thourson 1390312

Co A. 132^nd Inf American E.F.

 

(Received 12/11/18)

France Nov. 5 – 1918

 

Dear Anna

 

            I received Mabel’s letter of Sept 16^th and your letter of Oct 1^st yesterday.  Today I received a package of Tribunes and the Sat Eve Post and Navy Life.  I am very glad to hear you are all well.

 

            I am still in the hospital and it is hard to tell how long I will stay here.  I would be all right if I could only open my mouth.  I eat mostly soup and bread.  It would [not] do any good to put a nice big steak in front of me because I could not chew it.

 

            Well according to the latest news Germany is fighting all alone.  I do not think they will last very long now.

 

            Winge is still here and I think it will be some time before he gets out of here as he will have another operation before his eye will be alright.

 

            It is very quiet here about all we do is play cards and read.

 

            There has been no moving picture the last two or three nights on account of the weather.  Have you heard from Ed since he left?

 

            It is hard to write a letter because it is the same old story every day here and as far as the latest war news you get that as quick as we do.

 

            I had a letter from Stewart and he tells me that Peterson the fat conductor who lived a couple of doors from us on Keeler Ave is back on the cars again as a motorman.  You remember he was fired and had a hard time getting [a] job.  They are so short of men they are taking back a lot of men who were fired.

 

            Did you have your office hours changed?

 

            Stewart also said that he had heard that Bob McKinney the conductor had lost a leg over here.  He was with the Canadians as a motorcycle messenger.

 

 

 

(Note:  The following text is obviously from a different letter written about the same time.  In the bundle this page was with the pages of the above letter.  There is no explanation for this}

 

news of Austria’s surrender came.

 

I should think Eva could buy two bonds after the big raise in wages they gave her.

 

I suppose the reason the cars are so crowded in Chicago is because they are so short of men they have to leave a lot of the cars in the barn.

 

My mouth is still the same and I think they will have to operate again before it will be alright.  All the fellows are wondering who will be the first to go home if the war ends.

 

I wish I had more to write about but news is scarce here and about all I can tell is that I am alive and kicking.

 

                                                Love to all

                                                            Theo

 

 

Pvt. T.F. Thourson                                                                                                OK

Co A 132^nd Inf                                                                                                            TRP

American EF

1390312

France Oct 31-1918

 

Dear Mother

 

            I have received letters No. 10 – 11 – 13 and a letter of Sept 29^th from Mabel within the last three days.

 

            I am still in the hospital and I am feeling fine and I would be alright if it was not that I can not open my mouth yet.

 

            We have had nice weather all this week so far but we can feel winter coming on.  I received money for $2.50 and had it cashed at the Red Cross.  It certainly comes in handy because we are not sure when we will get paid again.

 

            I have not received any of the Saturday Evening Posts yet.  It takes while for the mail to get to us when we are in the hospital.  I have been luckier than a lot of the other fellows as they have not received any mail at all.

 

            According to the latest news it looks as if Austria is all in and ready to quit.

 

            I guess Eva will be pretty lonesome now that Ed has left.  I suppose she will have to go see his mother three or four times a week. 

 

            They have moving pictures pretty near every night but I have not over to see them because I do not want to take any chance of catching cold in my face.

 

            Well this will be all for this time.

 

                                                            Love to all

                                                                        Theo

 

Pvt T F Thourson

Co A 132^nd Inf

American EF

1390312

           

 

(Received 11/29/18)