On November 10, 1918, one day before Armistice Day, John Tyler Fairall, 1st Lieutenant, A.S.U.S.A. (Aviation Section, USA), a reconnaissance pilot and pilot instructor serving in France, wrote a letter to his mother.
Upon the front of the envelope:
In his writing:
November 10 1918
Dear Mother
I have just received my first mail at this post. Your letters of September 20th and 24th were in the lot. I suppose that by now every one knows that the German representatives are in France, and every one is waiting for the outcome of the conference. I surely hope that it will end so that I can get back. I am beginning to get tired of it all and will be glad to return to the U.S. There is quite a number here bemoaning the fact that they won’t get to the front. I can sympathise with them for it was an experience that I would not have missed for anything, but I am glad that it is all over but the shouting.
Paul Smith is evidently in the same fix as quite a lot more over there. It is new and having new experiences and is too busy to write. He is all right very likely.
I will write again in a day or so. This is all for this time.
As ever
Your loving son
Jack
J.T. Fairall 1st Lt. A.S.U.S.A.
St. Jean de Monts (Vender)
France
Thank you to all of our veterans serving us - past, present, and future.
Aren't letters great! My grandfathers' letters were on the same YMCA stationary. I let it all hang out at once and made a ridiculously long blog post here:
ReplyDeletehttp://rememberingancestors.blogspot.com/2009/11/wwi-chronicles-of-pvt-will-coleman.html
I'm looking forward to my first NERGC. See you there!