My great-grandfather, Guy, was a notorious burner. He burned everything, apparently, including boxes of family letters. I often wonder about the words he sent to the ether. Did the writer express love or longing? Did they describe simple, everyday life or an exotic trip? Did they bring news during war or regards during peace? I'll never know. Those words are now ashes, enriching the soil with phrases of the past penned by loopy, practiced hands.
Mom and I searched for some of Dad's old photos in one of the hallway closets. We pulled out bins of slides, cards, a creepy rabbit mask made by yours truly, and photographs. Mixed in with the pictures was an old letter written by George Dehring, a distant relative of mine, when he was in the US Army during World War I. I showed it to Mom and, knowing it was one of Dad's relatives, stuck it into the bag with his family pictures in it.
Today, Dad and I started working on recording information about his old pictures when I pulled out the letter and showed it to him. He said he'd never seen it. He studied the outside, remarking that the letter had been read because it passed censure. He pulled the yellowed pages from the envelope. We read them together. At this point, he became excited. The pictures were forgotten. Dad wanted to transcribe it and post it on Ancestry. I sat at his computer and he read aloud because "he was good at reading old handwriting." When the swirls were a little too mysterious, he passed the papers to me and I took a guess at it.
In the end, we had typed out a little piece of family history - of American history. It was a glimpse of what he had gone through during his time in France, a few stories about army life. He wrote about everyday life and hinted at how much he missed home. There's something deeply romantic about turning these fragile pages in my hands, absorbing the emotion behind the words and inhaling my history.
***
St. Nazaire
France
May 14, 6 0/0 (o’clock) PM, 1919
My dear loving Dady (nickname for his mother),
Received your welcome letter the other day. The one you wrote me April 23. I sure was glad to have [heard] from you, Dady. Well I am fine at present, Dady. Hoping the same with you folks all. The weather is pretty hot here. But I guess we get some rain to night. I wish it would rain now. Ha ha. It is so dusty here now. We had a little sandstorm here to day in the afternoon. I was downtown here in St. Nazaire. Well, Dady, another ship pull out here in the afternoon for the U.S.A. And three more come in here in the afternoon. Well, Dady, there are 5 boys leaving for the States to morrow. That was [they were] working in the Infirmary with me. Some from the 87 Div. and from the 32 Div. They march up the gan plank [gangplank] tomorrow. Well, it won’t be long any more. We all be home. The French men are raise [raising] Hell all the time. Why they don’t send the American soldiers home. May th[e] 1 (May 1st - May Day) We American soldiers was [were] not aloud [allowed] to go down town. The French men said the first American soldiers. They see that day. He be kill[ed]. About three weeks ago. There was some big fight here in St. Nazaire. The American turned the machine guns on the frogs. Well, Dady, the German prisoners are going home this week. They go to Tours this week where they get their discharged. I talked with one this morning. He was five years at the front line trenches. O gee. They sure are so glad when they can go home again. They don’t like French, either. Pa. Well, Pa, the winter rye is higher than I am. They made hay out of some all ready about three week[s] ago. The clover is knee high here in the pasture. They got most[ly] black sheep around here in France. Some are black and white and Jersey ox and a few cows. They got little colds [colts] here to[o] on some places. I saw them all ready. They had one ox. And horse hitch on some old fashion[ed] plow. Ha ha. They even drive dogs on wagons. I sure was surprised when I got in France. Ha ha. Tell you that when I see you. Well, Dady, I got $62.80 cents I sent home now. But I got on hand yet Franks 1.00.75 (100.75 Francs) and I loaned some guie [guy] 75 Franks from my CO. We got transferred one night so I be out of luck for that. And one guie [guy] from 3 Supply Train he got 50 Franks from him. We is up in Nantes now. I was going to Pares [Paris] next week but I don’t no [know] if I go yet. All the boys come from Paris. They say the girls hug the boys on the street. A fellow can’t go down town here. There are 75 wild women after you. They ask you on the street - I tell you when I get home. I got $62.80 cents in this letter, Dady. But the most time we [two words; unsure of the writing] bought our ounie [own] meals. Some French bread and some cheese and a beer. Well, Dady, I will come to close now. Hoping to see the U.S.A. soon. Wish you good luck and happy days. Well, it is raining now. Good by by [bye bye]. Dady.
Your Son,
Private Geo E. Dehring.
Camp Infirmary # 7
M.T.C Reception PRC
American E.I. Base Sections #1
A.P.O 701
St. Nazaire, France.
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