Nice as pie.... (and some cookies, too)

First group finally left Allentown for France in August. Camp started in June. We know that Herb hangs in PA for many more months....

Wednesday, August 8, 1917
Dear Mother,

We’re back in Allentown again – came in yesterday afternoon. We left Bath Monday morning and marched about 12 miles to a little village called Weaverville where we stayed overnight. That afternoon we were shot with one second dose of paratyphoid and in the evening it rained. The dampness got in to me and I was pretty stiff next morning what with the injection and all. We set out from Weaverville and pushed on to Catasauqua where the Red Cross Association gave us a fine lunch. We then came right on to Allentown and got in and settled down in our old barracks by five o’clock. I was pretty well worn out so I went to bed about eight o’clock and woke up this morning feeling fine.

The cookies arrived in good shape Monday afternoon and they certainly tasted good.

I am glad Harry has made up his mind to go to school in the fall. I think it will be a darned good thing. And so long as he has enough to pay most of his expenses in hand it will be a simple matter to get money for board, carfare lunches and the like. I know Charlie will be glad to help him out a bit. I’ll ask him about it if you like. If Harry needs any clothes he might better use mine than buy new ones.

I wouldn’t worry about the money from the firm. It will come along all right.

My Syracuse Lieutenant is fine and he treats me nice as pie.

The first thousand men left Allentown for France late Monday night. The second lot has been announced but Section 80 is not among them. I rather think we’ll be in the third group to leave around Labor Day.

Love to all,
Herbert


I had to laugh out loud yesterday. I screwed up the courage to finally go through a strong box brimming with old photos. I would suggest that they were Margaret's photographs, though I'll never know. There was no order, and many were not labelled, but look what I found:

These three photographs have only the name Olive on the back. The penciled in label explains nothing else.... But, maybe it is camp for Olive. In 1917 Olive would be about 13 years old. I would suggest she might be a little older than 13 here, but close.... As I look more closely at the photos now I see that the girls are not dressed for a theatrical production as I originally thought, they are just dressed of the time. Hahahaha. Oops. But they are up to summertime shenanigans, I would suggest.

I believe Olive is the young lady with the tie-like ribbon.