NEWS: William D. McCORMICK Writes Home, 1918, Altoona, Blair County, PA

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ALTOONA BOY WRITES OF LIFE IN FRANCE

William D. McCormick [photo]

William D. McCormick Tells of Some of His Experiences on Other Side

  William D. McCormick, a well known young man of this city, has written an 
interesting letter of his experiences on the Other Side.  He has been in 
France for some time and his parents have received the following interesting 
letter from him:
  Pviegneux, France, July 20, 1918 - Dear Father and Mother: I suppose you 
will be thinking that something has happened to me that I have not written 
sooner.  But I am still O.K. and am feeling fine with the exception of a 
little laziness.  It is very hot here during the day and cool at night.  I 
have been working every day.  I had my pick of the place to come in to the 
army and they gave me a pick to use.  It went pretty hard the first few days 
till I got used to working.  I have not worked for so long that it seemed 
very hard to start in, but now I can do my share with the rest of them.
  The company I am in has not gone to the front yet.  We have been doing 
railroad work.  I do not think we will get that far, for the boys that are 
there now are doing fine work and have been gaining ground every day.  We get 
the daily paper with a good bit of war news in and it tells what they do each 
day and it looks as if the Germans cannot hold out much longer, which I hope 
they cannot, for the sooner they are beaten the better.
  I saw a little sketch in the paper some time ago where the Germans captured 
a few of the Americans and enclosed them in a glass and drove through Berlin 
and showed them to the people; and this was written on the cage: "These are 
some of the very rare specimens found in France."
  I guess they have found they are too much for them.
  I do not know just how far we are from the firing line.  The French people 
treat the Americans fine; the only thing they are very hard to understand.  
Sometimes we run across one that can understand English and they tell us 
everything we want to know.  I was down in town on Sunday afternoon and was 
taking in all the sights that were to be seen, and believe me there was some 
awful places and some very ancient buildings to be seen.  One does not know 
when Sunday comes here, for every place is open on Sunday, or most every 
place.  Some big stores are closed.  When we came here we rode on the train 
for three days and two nights.  We got to see a good bit of the country 
during the day.  All very tired when we landed at camp, glad to get sleep.  
How is everybody in good old Sinking valley.  I hope they are all well.  I 
cannot tell you much about this place or country, but I can say that I was 
surprised when I saw the conditions and how far the French government is 
behind the times.  The climate here is very changeable and it is hard for me 
to get used to it.  The days are very warm and the nights are cold.  Some 
mornings I get up I think there is frost.
  It is harvest time here, as I suppose it is in the States, too.  They cut 
oats here before they cut wheat, and the corn is not much more than knee 
high.  The corn and potatoes are nearly burned up with the heat.
  I have all kinds of hard work.  I dare not go lie down in the shade like I 
used to do at home or lie in bed in the morning.  Ha! Ha!
  Everything goes in a lifetime.  We have been getting pretty good eats - at 
least I have not lost any flesh over it.  I can still hold the scales at 180 
pounds.  You can tell my friends that I am O.K. and enjoying the best of 
health with the exception of a little cold.
  I wish you all the best of luck until I see you again.  With love to all,
    Your son,
      WILLIAM D. McCORMICK.

Altoona Tribune, Friday morning, August 23, 1918, page 3