John Babb WWI Letter
Cassville Republican Thursday, May 29, 1919 The following letter has lately been received by Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Babb from their son, John, who is now with the American army of occupation in Germany. Somewhere in Germany, Jan. 16, 1919 Dear Mother: Yours of Dec. 2 received and was awfully glad to hear from you and that you are all well. You say you have not heard from me since September. I know that I wrote three or four letters in October alone. At that time I was in Aix Les Bains and I know I wrote you letter while I was there. I was there for two months. I don't know why it is you can hear from me. The letters we write have to go all over Germany and France and everybody from a Buck private to a general has to read them. So if you don't get any mail from me in two or three months think you receive them early because it is not my fault if you do not get them for I write them. So mother don't blame me for I am doing the best I can in the letter writing line and also don't worry about that Christmas box you sent. Of course I would like to get it but if I never do it makes no difference. We have supplies from the Y. M. C. A. Those people who got their mail 12 and 16 may have been written two months and so those people were in all of those drives that you speak about likely never saw the real front but were in about the fourth line trenches somewhere in reserve. Do not believe everything you hear. Here is a short verse you may like: "Oh we whipped them at Chateau Thierry and we whipped them at Slossons too; In the old St. Mihiel drive we left no Bouche alive, we fought for the Red, White and Blue; At Champagne we brought home the bacon and at Argonne we got a slice too." If anyone ever asks you which was the best of the divisions just refer them to No. 2, not the 89th, 33rd or 90th, not, but No. 2. Do not worry about Bernard or I because we are still on legs. Bernard and I have both been lucky, neither of us have had the flu although there has been much sickness over here. Hoping this will find you in the best of health, I will close, Yours son, John Babb, 49 Co., U. S. M. C., A. E. F. Germany via N. Y. State Historical Society of MO Microfilm Submitted in 2007 by Donna Cooper |