NEWS: Wilford H. RUNYEON Writes Home, 1918, of Altoona, Blair County, PA

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WILFORD H. RUNYEON ARRIVES SAFELY IN FRANCE TO BATTLE THE HUN

  Wilford H. Runyeon [photo], a son of Mrs. Eva E. Runyeon, of 308 Twenty-
second avenue, and a member of Company 29, July Automatic Replacement, has 
arrived overseas safely according to a letter received by his mother.  He is 
ready to do battle with the Hun to bring world democracy and to maintain the 
freedom of the United States.  His letter was written somewhere in England 
under Date of August 3 and follows:
  "Dear Mother and Father: - We have arrived safely overseas and had a fine 
trip across the pond.  We saw many different kinds of fish, flying, jumping, 
jelly and many we didn't know what to call them.  We all had a good time and 
I know I enjoyed the trip very much for the danger we were in.  I still think 
that I have my life jacket on.  I am lonesome without it now.  I wasn't sick 
at all and felt fine the whole way over here.  Many of the boys dropped a 
good meal overboard.  Well, anyhow, the fish must be fed and they got many a 
good meal on our trip.  We had fine weather for a while then got rough and 
stormy, raining most all the way.
  "The English people are sure glad to see the American boys over here and we 
got a hearty welcome on arriving.  Things are quite different here from what 
they are in the U. S.  This place is near a thousand years behind time.  I 
think I could write a book of the trip over if one was allowed to do so but 
you have read letters from this side before so you all know how it is.  I am 
well and hope all are at home.  Address my mail to
PRIVATE WILFORD H. RUNYEON,
  c/o Twenty-ninth Company,
  Automatic Replacement,
  American Expeditionary Force.

Altoona Tribune, Tuesday, September 10, 1918, page 12