LETTER FROM LAWRENCE McELVAIN

The Seymour Herald – 14 November 1918

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LETTER FROM LAWRENCE McELVAIN

Camp Pike, Ark., Nov. 5, 1918

Dear Mother and folks:

  How are all of you folks? I am, feeling fine, getting fatter all the time. I think I will soon pull down about 200 pounds.

  I worked from 8:30 until 12' to­day. I did not sit down to eat, breakfast, then walked to Belmouth this afternoon, that is about a three mile walk. I'll bet you folks up there are all busy. I believe I will be back to help you some before long. The news in the paper sure looks good. I believe I will be home by spring. I hardly believe I will leave this camp now altho I don't know. I might be moved this time tomorrow you never can tell. But I do not care for I am ready to go where Uncle Sam wants me to.

  I hardly believe I will eat my I Christmas dinner at home this year, but I may get to cook a big dinner for some of the boys. I believe I could cook turkey now and cranberries. I have made it a rule never to cook anything for the boys that I would net eat myself. Kemph and I are both particular, and we get along fine, we never use a pan or anything without examining it first. A cook has a lot of responsibility, we have to be so careful, we cannot waste anything that is worth anything, if we did we would be tried by court martial. Cooking is one of the most responsible jobs in the army I believe. One of the K, P's, said the other day that we ought to get $75 per month. But I am not working for money but for Uncle Sam.

  This is the best I can do this evening so I will quit for this time, hoping to hear from you soon.

  Your loving son and brother, Lawrence McElvain