April 20, 1919 -- Easter Sunday "Over There" Waiting to "Come Home" & gets Letter from Home

APO #750

April 20, 1919

Dear Ones All:

            It is a beautiful Easter Day in spite of the fact the sun refuses to shine more than two or three minutes at a time.  But we started the day with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, prunes and bread and butter and coffee.  Then the Red Cross presented us with some Easter packages. Mine was fine containing a roll of Necco wafers, a couple of Hershey chocolate bars, some mixed candy, 3 pkg of gum, after dinner mints, soap and cigarettes.  Then for dinner we had potatoes, boiled beef, gravy, peas, apricots and pumpkin pie and best of all, eight letters from the mail for me day before yesterday.  

April 21, 1919

Dear Home Folks.

            Twice now I have started letters to you and not finished, but in spite of how they look I’ll send them on with this.  The one in pencil has soup spilled on it, souvenir of Evac Hosp #13, Ha Ha.  If reports are true this may be the last letter you get from me from this side as the report comes from the company that our unit can send no mail from present station after tomorrow and “Joy!” – tomorrow I go back to the Company.  The orders at present mean a move for port of Embarkation sometime before the 10th of May.  Don’t faint.  And follow the Division in the Chicago Papers as they will keep track of us pretty well I imagine.  Address me as before but add 33^rd Div to the address.  Will try to communicate from port of landing.   Don’t that sound good.  I received three of the films and have one nearly used up already.  Thank you so much.  I hope the pictures will be good as they were all taken around the hospital here.  There hangs a tale.  The nurse wanted a picture of a soldier’s grave so I volunteered to get it.  Then it occurred to me that we were not allowed to leave the hospital grounds and we have only pajamas and a bathrobe to wander about here in.  But we’re in the Army now – or yet – so where there’s a will there’s a way.  At last I found a place where I could jump down from the wall to the street about 6 feet below.  And a post near made it possible to return that way if I had good luck and was not observed by a guard or nurse.  Even with my as yet tender hand I thot I could make it.  At all other places the wall is 9 feet or more high except the entrance which of course is guarded. So I slipped thru the top fence of barb wire and when the street or town square was deserted of guards dropped down and slipped up the street by the church to the cemetery.  The street skirts the Hosp grounds but as I said the wall is about 9 ft high or more on that side.  I paraded up the street a block to the Cemetery, got the pictures which will be good I hope and then commenced the trip back which I feared was going to lead to complications.  A pal of mine had been following things from inside the wall and now hastened back to the place I got out to help me back if the coast was clear.  As I was following the wall along came a Luxembourger with a laundry push cart.  He saw me looking up at the wall speculatively as I slipped along and knew what was in my mind I guess, for he said in fair English, “Too high to climb.”  I told him yes and he hastily slid his cart along the wall.  I asked no questions but toot-sweeted[1] it up on the cart and thru the hedge at the top of the wall, to the slight detriment of my hand.  But what tickled me most was the way a Lux. woman scolded the guy all the time I was scaling the wall for helping me.  Of course I thanked him and had some more fun when I slipped up behind my friend who was watching for me at the top of the wall where I got out.  I sure had him guessing as to how I got in.  Now if the pictures are good I’ll feel well repaid for my trouble. 

            Well, as I’m going out tomorrow guess I’ll look over all the mail I’ve recd since I was here.  I started to answer them in one of the enclosed spasms but my face was so itchy I got nervous and gave it up.

            The Easter cards you sent were so fine, I wish I could keep them but it is impossible except in memory.  Say mother, in answer to your question in letter of Mar 8^th, I proffer the following equation:  SHELL – S = gasoline explosion.  Was sorry to hear of Mr. & Mrs. Moes death but it is well they could face the great beyond arm in arm as they faced the struggle of life here.

            I am sure glad all the horses overcame the distemper so soon.  Say Kiddo, no use pulling this 140! lb stuff and then try to tell me you aren’t fat. We will make a prize pair when I get back.  Or – sh ! ? ?  Did they kid you about the twins. You can’t most always sometimes tell.  You may have heard of the Italian or maybe it was an Indian who told the Dr. if it was a boy he would name it Sunshine but a girl should be called Rain. The Dr. warned him that while he might just as well look for Sunshine, it was best to go about prepared for Rain. Next morning Dr. came out smiling and said, “Tony, you have got your Sunshine but you have also “beaucoup” (plenty) Rain.

            Thank you for the pictures.  I’m gong to try to keep them at least till I get in sight of Miss “Liberty.”  Mother you sure look natural. I almost want to grab you off your perch, lug you away o my shoulder, then I realize it is “only” a picture (can you read this?).

            Oh, Mother, you can’t fool me quite so easy as I’m quite sure all of the messages on the inside of envelopes have been read by me. I remember four at least.  My ankle is weak but can walk without much limp tho I can not run any on it.  But it doesn’t ache much now, so it is a matter of time. 

            Oh, it scarcely seems possible that a month from now we may be in Camp grant, or even home as I understand they make it speedy when the boys hit the States.  You must expect a slightly rough, red faced warrior when I return, but no permanent scars I am quite sure.  I’ll have to work some if I get my hair in shape.

            Watch that back and kidneys, Herman.  That is one thing it does not pay to fool with.  As I said before, they have made me a full fledged Corporal again so my March pay was112 ½ Fr besides insurance and allotment.  But I owe S some and a dollar here is worth 5.80 Fr and buys about what ½ dollar does in the US so it does not last long.  Oh will we be glad to hit the U.S.  Yes we will – You tell ‘em brother. 

            Tell Auntie I received the Easter card and two letters since I wrote to her and will try to answer but may have to do so in person in about six weeks instead.  But I appreciate them, and love her as much as ever. Maybe I can find time to drop her just a line tonight yet, but I’m so far behind in correspondence I may not make it as my nerves jangle and face itches if I write much more than a page at a time. Take all the cold baths you think good for you sister, but leave me out of any future plans for ablutions in Luxembourg’s mountain streams.  We will try most anything  O   N   C   E  , but enough in some case is too much.

            Now I just must close and while you are never sure in the army you can expect me at the latest by the middle of June unless something very, very extraordinary occurs to change our plans.  I think I’ve proved myself tough enough so any worry about personal troubles intervening must be superfluous.  Do not worry if it is three or four weeks before you hear from me again.  It will probably take you that long to decipher this.  And excuse the soup I’m sending you.

                        Love and God be with my dear ones always

                                                            Corp Geo Sherwood
                                                            Hq Co 108^th Eng 33^rd Div.

                                                            Amer. Exp. Forces.

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[1] The English expression toot sweet derives from the French phrase tout de suite (which means "immediately"). It first appears in English after the First World War, when, according to Mavens' Word of the Day, "many French words and expressions were borrowed by English-speaking soldiers."  So Uncle George was “Johnny on the Spot” with language acquisition!!.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toot_Sweets