May 5, 1919 - George Starts Journey Home & Gets Newsy Letter from Home

 

Dear Ones All: 

            I’m dropping you a line from Brest.  This is our port of Embarkation.  Have seen the harbor and ships but ours are not in yet.  Do not expect we will get away from here for a week at least.  The harbor here looks much as it did a year ago, but the camp is so enlarged that I hardly know the place.  We were four days on the train coming down from Luxem.  We entrained at Echternach Wed. morning at 8:30. Have Kodak and buccoo films but the weather was so rotten all the way down I got no pictures I’m afraid tho I tried one reel.  Hope we have good weather on the boat.  I ought to get a few good ones there if we do.   Hope to get a few about camp here too.

            I got nice bunch of mail this morning.  5 letters from home, dates Apr. 9, 10, 11, 12, 21.  The intermediates ones evidently got by and are up in Europe somewhere.  But there were letters from all – even the “old home place” so SI am feeling better.  My face is healed except for a few rough scales but the hand is still sore in a couple of small spots.  So there is no need of worry.  Expect to be on the water or in New York by the time this reaches you but may be here yet so don’t plan too much.  Guess I‘ll spend the dough. I’m afraid you couldn’t stand the strain of a telegram from New York anyway.  My return will sure be like that of the prodigal son, for as Johnnie says, “I’m as free of France and centimes as a fish is of feather.” 

            One month or so and then this kid will be a civilian again.  I think my lucky star has superseded the unlucky in the sky for we sustained a slight wreck on the trip down and all I suffered was loss of  15 min sleep.  A French engineer tried to hose us off the track but only succeeded in getting his engine smashed a little and off the rails.  No one was hurt except [horrors – written on the side with an arrow drawn to]  bruises and slight cuts; mostly from shifting baggage, etc., but we were delayed a day by the accident.  This is sure some camp.  About 80,000 troops here now. Well, I’ll have to close. 

            Expect to write at least one more from here but may not find time.

                                                                        Love to all

                                                George Sherwood

                                                            108^th Eng. Amer. Ex. F! 

CL Thomson, Capt. 108 Engr, Amer. Ex F.