WAR: On Thursday, The Era will be bringing you a special edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
As a preview, we want to share some words “from the front” that were sent home to families.
“Private First Class Vincent A. Roy, in the following letter to his parents in Bradford, displays the spirit that is accounting for the wonderful victories credited to American arms on the western front,” the Era wrote, reprinting a letter from September 1918.
“Dear Mother and Dad: This is the first letter I have written since I left the boat. I’m here. Some trip. I enjoyed it, that is from the interesting point of view. Since I left Camp Upton enough has happened to fill a book, but I can’t tell you a thing about it. We are supposed to write as if we are not in the army, and are allowed only two letters a week, and these are limited to three or four pages each. This new ruling is necessary to allow officers who censor letters more time to attend to official duties.
“I expect that we will see the front line trenches much sooner than we anticipated, but not on a very active sector at first. It isn’t so very bad from what I hear, at least I feel perfectly all right in every respect and am ready to face the future.
“We landed in England finally and it certainly felt fine to take off the life preservers which we had worn for such a long time, and to step again on solid ground. After spending a few days at a rest camp we came to France and the natives were very glad to see us. Almost immediately we came to this little village where we are quartered in vacant buildings called ‘billets.’ The one in which I am living was built in 1777. Everything is built of stone with stone roofs. Aside from that they are modern in every detail, doors, windows and running water — just outside in the brook, candles for light, etc.
“Most of the people are of the peasant class and as for the girls, I much prefer those at home. I don’t see what some of these guys rave about. There are lots of pretty ones though, same as everywhere.”
More of the letter tomorrow.
