July 15, 1918 -- At Long Last George Writes to Family Again

Somewhere in France

7/15/18

Mr. Wm Sherwood, Kendall Wisconsin 

Dear Home Folks All,

            I expect you wonder what has become of me.  Well, keep right on wondering. I’m right where I was when I wrote last.  So now you know all about it?  We have heard a lot of “thunder” since we struck France, but the other day we really had a good old fashioned thundershower. The rain came down in sheets for awhile then it hailed several minutes. The weather, tho unsettled, had not been really wet before, so some of our drainage systems had been allowed to cave in, fill up etc.  The results were as disagreeable as could be expected.  Practically every dugout floor was flooded a little and in a couple of instances ten or twelve inches of water got in.

            We were fairly lucky and only got the floor good and wet, but necessity is the mother of invention so before long had a platform built to sleep on, so were comfortable as ever.  But since the rain it has been very unsettled, with showers every few hours, so it is rather unpleasant outside.  * Had to put the light on at this point, but here goes again now – 16 hrs later.

Woke up to hear the patter of another shower on our canvas, and soon it started to thunder and lightening again.  This time we were better prepared, so didn’t get out till reveille blew, then fixed it up in one or two places where the drainage was somewhat impaired.  The mud is sure slippery and sticky here.  Well, I’ll let this go for now and try to find time to write oftener.  Love to all my folks at home and write often.

                                                Your loving son and brother,
                                                            George 

Always remember me for the Glendale folks, Auntie [Nellie Thompson] especially.