Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 142, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1918 — PAUL REES WRITES FROM JEFFERSON BARRACKS [ARTICLE]

PAUL REES WRITES FROM JEFFERSON BARRACKS

Jefferson Barracks, Mo., June 9, 1918. Dear Father and Mother: —Hello how are you all by this time? lam well and hope you are the same. I am enjoying army life first rate and hope to continue to do so. lam now camping on the Mississippi river a few miles from St. Louis, Mo., but we are all to be shipped to some other camp this week, so can not give you any address, so you can , write to me yet but I can now have the pleasure of letting you know my I whereabouts and that lam O. K. I, am now a United States regular sol-1 dier and will serve in the Coast Artillery, (the big guns which will pave the way to Berlin). I feel proud to think that I am serving my country as a man should. I did not have to register. I had to pass some hard examinations, but I have passed them all as a sound man. I had to take three examinations all together before toeoming a Soldier. It took seven hoars for the last examination, so you may have some idea as to the strain one* goes through with on enlisting. Earl Smith is hers with me and I get to see him quite often. I don’t know if we will get to be together after we get in the regular camp or not. He is well. Mam, I know just about how you feel by me not coming home before enlisting but I could not get there, but for one night, so I would not come at all for that would have been worse to break away than to come home at all. After I have been in awhile I will try to get a furlough and cpme home to see you all before going to France. Please do not forget to write after I once get located and give you my address. Mam, I do not want you to worry over me at all for I can take care of myself and will always be a man. Did Forest come home? I will write to him as well as many others as soon as I get located. Has Uncle Sol’s tools got there yet? This is Sunday and I am now at the Y. M. C. A. writing this letter. The “Y” is certainly grand. If it were not for the Y. M. C. A., army life would be awful. If ever you want to help me at the front, just give to the Y. M. C. A. and I will get the full benefit of it. Everything is fSee. Shows, music, a place of recreation, writing material and many other amusement are free. Don’t allow anyone to run down the Y. M. C. A. work. Well I have not taken any training yet to learn how to get in/the mess hall, ha! ha!< We have plenty to eat and drink. This camp is awfully crowded here. They don’t do any training or drilling here. I will be glad when we get to a regular post where we can get regular work. I think all coast artillerymen will go to the eastern coast for training, but one cannot tell where he is going to be sent. The boys are all proud spirited and are all in for getting the Kaiser. I sent my suit case and such articles as I could not keep to you. You should have them by how. I left most all my things with Forest. He will get them to you I guess as soon as possible. Well how is Newland by this .time? I hope the crops, are looking well and that they mature. Ido not suppose I will get to help harvest any crops soon. Hello, Lester, how are you? I often think of you. How is Russell? Hello Thelma and Nellie how are you? You must all be sure and write to me as soon as you learn where to writ* to. Well I will close for this time hoping this will reach you in due time. Has cousin Bertha got there yet? Good bye, your son, CECIL R. REES. P.S. Don’t write to me until I get situated for good and get an address. I think I will leave here for somewhere about Wednesday. Don’t worry.