LaRochelle, France

Nov 18, 1918

Dear Mother:

Received your letter a few days ago which you sent to Bertha dated Oct. 23. Also received one from Papa dated same. So you see, your letter went to Bertha and she wrote some, then sent it to me and I got it the same day I got Papa's that he sent the same day yours was wrote. It seems like I get letters from Illinois quicker than from home. Mary McCoy has got you all beat for speed. I got a letter from her in about 17 or 18 days after it was mailed, and your letter came from Bloomington, Ill in 22 days.

Well, you know you said Allie wrote that funny dope so I could read it for pastime, ha! Ha! Well, I had to laugh when I read that, too. For pastime, I had about 6 or 7 minutes to read your letter and was going full speed ahead in a big motor truck while I read it. Well, I passed the time all right. It was a very pleasant time, too. I sure do like to read the letters I get from home.

We haven't had very much time to spare while the war was going on full tilt. We were a blamed busy crew, believe me, and it's not much better yet. But we can begin to see a letup in it all pretty soon, and the hope of getting home real soon. You didn't hear very much about going home so long as the war kept up but when we read the terms of the Armistice, we knew that the war would never start again, so HOME! HOME! was every place on every tongue everybody prophesying when we would go home. The earliest date at present is Dec. 5, but some few have it 18 months after peace is signed. I think just like I said a month or two before the war ended that I would get home in time to help plant corn, and it might be possible that I would get home by New Year's or shortly after.

Yes, I know Mr. Street or have seen him in Hopedale and Mackinaw, but didn't know he had joined the Y.M.C.A. Would like to meet him. No, there is no one in this Regiment that I ever heard of in civil life, but I don't care. I'm glad there isn't.

Say, I'll bet you are tickled that war has stopped, eh! Well, I am, too, for I sure have had a time nearly every night since war stopped. These French are plumb wild with joy. The towns are alive with flags of all the allied nations and confetti is two inches deep on the streets. I got my eyes, ears and hair full last night. They have it by the bushel here. Last Sunday was a lively day. I was hoofing it all day mostly to the music of the band. The elements full of airplanes and cannons cracking every breath. We were some Army that day (censored) ,000 strong.

I was in a submarine two or three weeks ago, went all through it. I don't believe I would like life on a sub. It's too much of a groundhog hole for me. I believe I would go plumb crazy in 10 hours in one of the machines.

Well, all the boys are loading up with souvenirs to take home and the officers are getting things to take back. So we will probably be coming soon. Well, I must close so answer soon. If I get to come home before I get it, why let it go on to the north pole for all I care, ha! Ha! As ever your son,