Lyman County, South Dakota  Genealogy

            Updated    Friday, March 05, 2010   

       WWII letters

From Bill Haessler                             American Red Cross
On Active Service  With The A.E.F.
Dec. 1, 1918

Dear Friend George:     

    You will have to forgive me for being so neglectful; I should have written to you long ago.

   I will first state that I received your paper, or rather, The Record; it seemed good to read news from my home town and its surroundings.

   Well George, I am glad to say that what we were fighting for has been accomplished and we can feel safe from now on. I haven’t been in any of the battles, but I was up in the trenches in the Alsace Loraine Sector. Our division was ready to go up to the Verdum Sector when the Armistice was signed. I claim that after all I was lucky once.

   I will tell you how Uncle Sam fed us on Thanksgiving Day. We had chicken, mashed potatoes and dressing, celery, apples, bread and butter and cake. Now, who could ask for more? That was a real good dinner.

   I went to church in the morning, a picture show in the afternoon and a concert in the evening. We have a picture show or concert every afternoon or evening. This is some place.

    I am at Angiers, France. Some berg. They say it has 250,000 inhabitants. I am not with my company now and I do not know whether I will get back to them again or not. I don’t even know where they are.

    I haven’t had any mail for a month, but I hope to get it soon. Just the same, I feel gay and happy, but would feel a little bit happier if I could be among the Reliance and its vicinity once more. I presume, providing everything comes out alright, that it will not be long until I might have the pleasure of shaking hands with all of my friends.

   Well George, I will close for now and if I am not there by the 25^th, I wish you and the rest of my friends, one and all, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. So good night, lights out.

Pvt. Willie E. Haessler    Co. I, 349 Inf., A.P.O. 796   A.E.F.