Letters of Wars

By Jeanette Gribble

In this eBook are actual war letters written from World War I and World War II from one family that were cherished for over 90 years. Learn how long a letter took to arrive to someone in France and about the cost of chocolate sent overseas from World War II. Read the letter from a nurse who wrote to his family back home that she took care of. The wounded were kept in barns while the Germans surrounded them and doctors did operations until the Allied Forces broke through to them. See photos of letters that were cut apart so that no details of their location would get into the enemy’s hand. Read about no lights at night so the enemy would not see their location. Two wars but the theme was the same, these boys just wanted to come home. Photos of the service men, V-Mail, postcards and more are included in this eBook. Included are their full names, birth and death records and burial plot locations. I hope you enjoy reading these letters as much as I did when I typed them. I kept the words and spelling exactly as they were written.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeanette Gribble
• Release date: Sep 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310136634

Jeanette Gribble

Born, raised and still living in central Pennsylvania.

Book preview

Letters of Wars

Copyright 2014 Jeanette Gribble

Published by Jeanette Gribble at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes:

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedicated to:

Marie (Sadler) Gribble for keeping all these letters in safe keeping.

Dave Gribble, her son, for his patience as I typed read and re-read these letters out loud to him while asking questions till I understood how everyone was related.

Introduction:

Never in my wildest dream did I think I would write a book but here it is. I didn’t have much of an interest in learning more about the wars that has shaped our country and our families. I found myself drawn to learn more as I read these letters and ended up finding out how very little I knew.

I found these torn and battered letters in a dresser drawer while cleaning out my mother in law’s house after she passed. Cleaning out a house that someone had lived in for almost 90 years was a large task but I found myself energized each time I went there. It was an adventure as I opened drawers, looked into boxes, never knowing what would be found next.

The letters were old, torn, falling apart but I was amazed that the letters content was easy to read and understand. Most of the oldest letters, which were from Great War were the easiest to read. These letters were written in pencil, yet preserved so very well in the dry dresser drawer in a laundry room in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

At first I started with a box and kept filling it with letters, then I started to organize them by sender and found I had letters from both the Great War or now called World War I and World War II. What a difference between the wars and how many letters were sent back and forth.

I hope you enjoy reading these letters as much as I did when I typed them. I kept the words and spelling exactly as they were written. Photos and interesting other documents are included.

Table of Contents

The Great War – World War I

Letters from Harry, Edward and George Smyser

Miscellaneous Letters – Nurse and Friends

Photos, War Postcards, Letter and Envelope and Newspaper Clippings

World War II

Letters Dean Elwood Sadler

Miscellaneous Letters

Photos, V- Mail Letter and Christmas card, Miniature War Post Cards

The Great War – World War I

Introduction:

The Great War is what it was called at the time the world was in this war. Later it was named World War I or the First World War, sadly to say because another war had started. The Great War started in the year 1914 and ended in 1939. Maybe its name Great came about because it was great powers at the time that were fighting against each other. I cannot imagine a war lasting so long.

I am not going to go into the war and all its details but rather explain what I learned from reading these letters. You can go to the library or search on the internet and read about it for hours.

Each return address and military details that were used to sign the letters are typed exactly as it was written.

The thought of having three brothers all serving in a war must have been such a worry for their parents and remaining family members.

Harry Smyser’s letters is where the adventure starts, in the year of 1918.

Harry Monroe Smyser

Introduction:

Harry’s letters were the first letters I read and decided immediately that they needed to be shared with the world. The letters were getting old and battered and very fragile and had to be carefully handled. After all, the letters were over 90 years old when I opened them. Written in pencil and carefully opened and cherished by his family all these years.

As I read I had trouble understanding his sentences sometimes. This is because he only went to the 4th grade so his spelling and sentence structure wasn’t perfect, but his message was. He loved and missed his family and wanted more than anything to come home. He was sent overseas to fight this war in France and wrote these loving letters to his sister. He was only 26 years old when he died.

What he wanted most, to come home, never happened; he got sick and died in France. The influenza was very contagious and deadly which was Harry’s fate. A letter from the nurse that was with him at his bedside when died was so very special to read, thinking how she took the time to write to his mother. It made my heart swell with his love for his family that he missed dearly. As you read the letters of his brothers all serving at the same time and concerned how each other was and where they were stationed during the war.

Harry was buried in France but later his body was brought home. His cemetery plot can be found in Mt Zion Cemetery, Boiling Springs Road, in the Village of Churchtown, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Harry was born in Mechanicsburg, in the year of 1892 and died December 22, 1918 at the very young age of 26. Son of Benjamin F Smyser and Mary Jane Glime.

Included is a photo of him the photo the nurse sent of his grave marking in France, postcards he sent and more

Washington Barracks, DC

April 28, 1918

Dear Sister,

At a little leisure time I will answer your every welcomed letter and was delighted to her from which I received yesterday. I could not get home and I first thought I would write you a few lines and I guess I will have to break the news that we are liable to sail anytime and don’t know if I will get home anymore before I have to go or not. They will not allow anybody to leave so of course we have to make the best of it but we will first have to hope and pray that it will not last long and we can all be together again and enjoy life the same as always. I don’t know if that money cold get here or not before we have to leave here so all I know now we will not take any chances unless I find out other orders. We had an awful big parade in Washington on Friday. Everybody that had a bond was in the parade. The left us go in to see it. The Marines and Navels were in it too. It was so large that it took several hours to pass our place. You will more likely get those photos some of these times. I first discovered the check they give you when I had them taken that they must have that before they develop the photos so I sent that the other day. I sure would like to see you all before I have to leave but Dear Sister you are never sure of that you are going to do in the army. I wanted to go to Sunday school this morning but of course you could not even go off of the post. I don’t think many of the fellows that is over you in a place like this don’t think they think much about Sunday school for when I asked him this morning he just laughed and of course I consider the source so I done my part anyhow for I felt that was the best place for me to go when I could not come home. It sure is a beautiful day but we cannot enjoy it anyhow for we have to stay in. I would not mind it if a person was on detail but I am not. They are issuing some clothes and I guess maybe I will get some to. I wish I could be there to help you to plant potatoes as I never did mind that job and farming is the best job you can get at and the most healthy job you can get at and the most independent job to. It was always good enough for me and just wish I could be home and help you with the harvest as I sure would enjoy it as I always love to be home. Well as news is scarce I will have to close with best wishes. Give my love to all hoping to hear from you soon again.

Sincerely your Bro

Harry Smyser

Washington Barracks, D.C.

May 4, 1918

Dear Sister,

A little leisure time I will write you a letter as that is all we can do as we are confined to camp as there was a few fellows took French leave and I guess they are afraid some more will do the same so I guess there will be no more coming home. As it sure does not seem right as I sure would like to see you all before I have to go but I guess I will not be that way so we will just have to be satisfied and make the best of it and hope that is will not last long till we can all enjoy life together. As there is nothing nicer and to have your friends together as there is no place like home. We are having fine weather as it isn’t so hot. Every time after a rain it always get cooler as being so close to the river. If I would have know this I would of got some of you people and Miriam to come down if I would of knew I could of not got home. I could of saw you anytime as I always like to see the dear ones at home as it makes a fellow feel better. We may have to leave tomorrow and then we may stay around here for some time but I believe we may pull out tomorrow. So a person is never sure of anything in the army. I did not think we would get out at all but we had one till eleven o’clock. A fellow may as well stayed in but there was a few little things I wanted to buy so that was the reason I went out and still spend a little of the lonesome time away the way. It made things bad for us of going out last night and there was sure some bunch of fellows drunk and some of them came in drunk this morning and some was sick in bed over being drunk. But sister I cannot see the fun in getting drunk as I never could see the point.

Well if I can’t be there at home you and Frank will her to make her go away as she sure does not go away very much. I think they would miss her around there if she was to leave. We got paid the other day and I just took out that insurance toward the last of the month and of course they took all the full amount off of me for the month. They try to pull all they can over you. Well I will have to close for this time give my love to all. Hoping to hear from you soon again.

Lovingly Your Bro

Harry Smyser

Washington Barracks D.C.

May 7, 1918

Dear Sister,

At a little leisure time I will try to write you a few lines as we expect to leave tomorrow and if you don’t hear from me for a good while. I was talking to Miss Miller from Michigan the other day and she has a brother overseas and she said they did not hear from him for seven weeks. That seems a long time but that is the way it goes for they have poor system in all the camps for mail and different things. We sure are having fine weather and are enjoying good health. I sure would of loved to get home before I would of left but things are all up now but that is the way it goes in the army. I guess the boys are busy working as it sure is fine weather for them to get right ahead. As I will soon have to close as the lantern is dry and we have no oil. Tell mother not to worry and get sick for I feel that God will take care of me. We sure have a bunch of clothes to take along. I feel much better to go as we got a fine bunch of officers as that is a big thing. Will have to close as the light is no good. Give my love to all.

Your Loving Brother

Harry Smyser

On Active Service with the American Expeditionary Force (stamped paper)

June 14, 1918

My Own Dear Sister,

At a little leisure time in writing a few words home as I always think of that peace. Never forget to write home and it is a great pleasure for me to do. We are having fine weather and it is pretty warm as I guess the festivals are going on back there and this sure would be fine weather for them. As it is good ice cream weather as the people around here does not know much about that. As they think more about drinks and cream. Would do the children more good than drinks and the older ones to but that is there way and I cannot change it but I do not have to take there way either as a person is far better off without it. I guess everything is moving along fine and the people are thinking about making hay and hope they will have a better crop this year and they had when I helped them and hope they get along fine. Tell the boys not to get discouraged is they cannot get the help they can. Just think there are lots more in the same shape and all take good care of yourself and don’t work to hard. As there is always plenty to do but dear sister it is the best place to be. The people has made hay over here this long time as they are liable to make it anytime Ha Ha. As they have systems at home for farming but they don’t seem to have