SGT. ROYAL KILMER LETTER WORLD WAR I FRANCE
THE LETTER APPEARED IN THE (TOMAH MONITOR) Tomah Wis, APRIL 1918.HEADLINE READS ," LETTER FROM SERGEANT ROYAL KILMER"
"Living Conditions are Fine--He Is in Good Health"
Letter starts-- Somewhere in France-- "We are now located in our camp in France. We are in billets that is, in French homes. We moved into a little town and the soldiers are quartered in the French homes. We us rooms that are not occupied by them.
I have sixteen men in my room that I am charge of. The French ways are quite different from ours but we will get accustomed to them soon. They have their living room inthe front of the house and the sheds and stables are built on the back of houses. All the houses are built of stone and slate. Their streets are very narrow. The people wear wooden shoes and odd clothing. They are a very industrious and saving people. The family living below our room is very kind to us; they try to do all they can for us.
I can understand some of their language. We carry a French book with us and when we get "stuck" on a word, we look it up.
All of the girls are sent away from the village to convents when troops move into them, so most of the inhabitants are old people.
We get good food here. The railroads here are sure some joke. We traveled in cattle cars,40 men in a car, so you can see how small the cars are.
France is a very interesting country but very odd. We will have some interesting stories to tell when we get back.
The sun is shining and very warm today. most of the boys are washing cloths alongside the French women at a little stream.
Harlow Hoag was on the same boat that I was. We have been
away from Tomah a long time but it doesn't seem long. I am very contented here; have a good bed and good food and I am well--that is a big thing in this army and war. I have certainly learned a great deal that will always be a big help to me.
We don't hear any more about the war than we did the U.S.A
of course a great many things happen that we are not allowed to TELL. We can't even put the dates on our letters. Well must close now_____don't worry about me because I will be all right.Your son, Sergeant Royal Kilmer
Co. B. 121 M.G. Bn.am. E.F. via New York"