Show LUTTERS OUR SOLDIERS camp dodge iowa jan 13 1918 roosevelt commercial club dear friends frends and fellow members well I 1 have been here just ten days and believe I 1 have teen seen enough to tell you boys at home something about the life ot of a soldier at camp dodge this camp is s one ot of the largest canton cantonment ments si in the united states there being now about white s andl and about co colored lorod the camp coers an area of about two square miles and the buildings are almost as thick as it Is practical to buld build them this does not include the drai grounds target range and artillery range the food ls is very good and much better than one would suppose another thin tiling boys it if you ever have lave a chance to boost for the Y M C A by all means do so give your last dollar if you have to every time aey ask tor for it ft all the boys at this camp outside means of receiving money and after they have paid laundry bought text books etc are just about broke and believe mo me the comforts of 0 the Y otters offers are sure appreciated such as picture shows lectures music eta etc we also have all the paper and time to wrap parcels writing material and ink we want and all for no nothing thing until you have been in n the army you wont appreciate how these little things seem to a sold soldier ler also the people la in charge d not give one the teel feel ng th that at they are ills his benefactor rather they are at the soldiers seri ce cc and do all they can for its his com fol foit t for instance a great number ol 01 the floied brool s are unable to write and the chaps in in the Y write letters to their sweethearts mothers etc the other day a colored man mai vent to the Y secretary and dictated a letter to a girt girl in alabama after it was fin finished hed lie he asked the secretary to write urite to another girl le had down there ahou the see secretary ased him what to say lie replied just copy tile the first last but not leist least ft a word for the fed ed crota they are anre all I 1 tile the hoys boy in this camp with a helmet 1 I doves gloved bristles wristlets wrist lets les swelter sweater mu muffler atle r two pars pairs of socks besides numerous other things they do for the comfort i of the soldiers the boys in the training camp are certainly a fine lot of men most of them are sergeants from the regular army are from military schools but as nice as they are trying bryng to make it fr for us I 1 cant say but what I 1 would rather be hack with the boys playing a little solo these fellows here never heard of the game aluff I 1 guess I 1 will have to introduce it I 1 bought the wrist watch yet as I 1 have never been where they are sold except on sunday agon again I 1 want to express my ampre toward you members tor for the confidence invested nv ested in me by turning P signed check over well hoping the club cont continues to prosper and tie be lieving I 1 can he be there about the middle of may to contribute a little I 1 remain RAE ASHTON battery 1 I 0 T C camp dodge iowa camp lews lewis wash jan 15 19 1 S dear parents I 1 it has been sometime since you last heard beard from me but there Js Is a reason I 1 the order came right after christmas to get ready to go to california then we were quarantined tor for two weeks tor for measles that was the first clash with the enemy tor for they were the german measles jordan or I 1 take them but our top sergeant did and lie he was nas a very sick man for a week then they told us to get ready to go to linda vista and we had to take another examination it was a heart and lung test and yours truly passed per cent oli oh belleve roe me he is some man and it if B S was music mua c lie he would be a whole brass band well we went out ort on the parade grounds and they gave us all instructions what we were to du on the train then at the last minute we were told that the movement had been abandoned and to go back to our barracks the next day the order came to move our barracks to a new one which was six barracks east cast ot of ours and we had bad to pack everything we had on our backs it was some job aud and after we had made walks and everything I 1 was transferred to co E infantry tri 1 I am glad that I 1 am here although I 1 iwas was an acting corporal in co 36 but the depot depol brigade Is not permanent the reason in t so long was because I 1 thought they were going to make a permanent co many company out ot of it and I 1 would have got to be a corporal jordan stayed tor for lie he was wab made moss sergeant it la is a good thing and they get 38 per month the mess sergeant does all the buying for the mece and has to keep ills his own books it is quite a job but jor dan can do it at the depot brigade jordan and I 1 were dubbed the mormon twins we were the only utah boys in tile the company and being constantly together Is what gave us that non de plume when I 1 left that company jordan wanted to come along but I 1 told him not to but lie he might come anyway I 1 been to town since christmas because lie cause I 1 have been broke ance then one thing this army life has done tor for me Is that I 1 dont care a cent about being broke I 1 was out digging trenches today slid and am awful tired so will close from your son RAYMOND REEF co E P infantry camp lewis |