[Letter of Robert Lincoln O'Connell to his mother, March 18, 1918]

The Salvation Army [Letterhead]

On Active Service with the American Expeditionary Forces [Letterhead]
France

Dear Mother,

	I just received Mame's letter marked #1 and another from Ellen.
I was glad to get them as the last half dozen had been inquiring why I
didn't write. I am writing each week now because I have my own paper,
in case I haven't a chance to reach a Y.M.C.A. tent or an S.A. but there
are few places that those people haven't opened buildings. In this 
village, the two huts face each other, across the street, but the Y.M.
draws the crowd and the money because they have a better equipped place.
A read band has been around town for the last week and the way they grind
out ragtime is a treat. They have been giving a concert in each hut, 
nearly every night

(2)
and the crowd trails right along after them. I haven't heard any preaching
at the S.A. yet but the Y.M. folks generally start a short lecture as the
last notes of the concert are going through the windows. But this would 
be a lonesome business, if it wasn't for the Y, and they have huts everywhere.
I know of one on a lonesome road in a woods where a lot of guns are located.
If that place isn't wrecked this summer, it will be a wonder because the
Germans are always hunting for our guns and accidents will happen. We are 
having fine weather and the main roads are dusty again which is something
that Mar. 18 at home didn't see, I'll bet. From the girls letters and the
papers, things must have been pretty rough at

(3)
home, this winter, with the meatless and heatless days and other things.
Most of our days have been heatless except for a little stove, but as we
only had one week of real cold, in January, and get plenty of food and 
outdoor work, we haven't been bothered much. And there has been no shortage
of fresh meat, which probably accounts for the general plumpness, as you won't
have to worry about this soldier's health. The girls knitting has been pretty
handy, especially the socks, which are far better than the army kind and
wear like irons. Yesterday was Patrick's day but only one man had any green
and that was a scrap of weed, in his buttonhole, that he had brought

(4)
back from the trenches. He seemed to be the only good Irisher in sight. 
Yesterday was warm and today is almost hot and our heavy clothing is almost
too much, in the sun, but it will be sharp enough tonight. This letter will
probably reach you about the end of my first year in the Army. If you remember,
it was Apr. 10, which I went up to Hartford to see if they would pass me. It
has been a short but lively year and I hope I get home before another passes
but I'm glad I got in early because the drafted crowd certainly didn't havee
places like Washington Barracks to train in or warm weather, either, but they
will have the laugh on us when they get over here and find things cleaned up.
Well, send me a note or a card once in a while with the girl's letters and 
I'll get along alright.
Rob

[Transcribed by W.J.Shepherd, April 26, 2009]