WWI Letters-Cullen, Wag James

Lyman County, South Dakota  Genealogy

 Military Letters, WWI

As found in old newsletters.
Transcribed by barbara stallman-speck

            Updated    Friday, March 05, 2010   

       WWII letters

From Wag. James C. Cullen    

My Dear Sister:
      I received four of your letters today and you may be sure I was glad to get them so I will try to answer them this evening. I got 11 letters today. It was the second time for us to get mail since we got here.

   We are working every day and all keep well and have a good time among ourselves. We can’t talk to the French, but we are learning a little French and they are learning a little English. The kids learn fast. They come around when we are eating and want a piece of white bread. White bread is a treat as they don’t get white bread in this country.

    There are no young men left in this country; they are all in the army. The old folks and the women have to do the work. We see old folks, hardly able to walk, and they are out at four in the morning working. One morning there was an old woman down at the wash house at four o’clock, washing clothes. All of the people in town do their washing there. They wash everything in cold water. They have a big tank and they all get around it and wash clothes together. It is a great place to visit the French girls.  I don’t do much of my washing. I get the French women to do it for me. They do a big washing for fifty cents. We furnish the soap.

    All of the boys from Reliance are wanting to read your letters. I let Bryan read most of them today and August wants them tonight. Neither of them got a letter from home and they think you know all about things in Reliance.

    I don’t know what has become of Trumbo. It is funny he don’t write his wife anyway. It is hard to find anybody here. When we write to one another we are not allowed to say what town we are in. George Creighton is near here somewhere. He came over before we did. He is in Co. M. 120th Inf.

    Bryan says if you see his mother tell her to write to him. All the boys are looking for letters from home.

    So Beth and Bill had a big time on their honeymoon. I got Beth’s letter today telling me about it and Helen told me about the dance.

   Well, as it is suppertime, I will have to close and go.

I am, as ever, your loving brother,

Wag. James J. Cullen    
Hdq. Co. 342 M. G. B.  
AEF    A.P.O 781