Fine Weather has been let loose

The 580 is in Pernant, Aisne from May 16th thru the 23rd. Pernant is just outside of Soissons, France.

May 20 [1918]
Dear Mother,

I’m a couple of days behind schedule this time but no wonder. We’ve been moving around quite a bit and I lost two days somewhere. I was sure it was only Friday when as a matter of fact it was Sunday.

At least the fine weather that they have been saving up has been let loose. For four or five days it has been fine, though perhaps a bit too warm – absolutely clear, cloudless days with a temperature that must push 85 or 90 degrees pretty close.

As I said before we’ve moved, but where, why or how we’re going I don’t know. We’re now in a small town awaiting orders – an ordinary billeting-place, dirty and dusty and about as uninteresting a place as one could imagine. That’s not all true, at that, because there’s an aviation station not far away and one can frequently see planes going through all sorts of stunts, right over our heads.

There’s a good sized town not very far away so I managed to get over there yesterday to buy some things I needed. I went around to see the cathedral which had been shelled by the Boches. What a sight. One part of it was quite intact but the other was half battered down and all the walls were all scarred with shrapnel. Next door was something quite funny from one point of view – a house with only the front wall standing and on that a sign ”Apartment to let”.

There are several American sections of ambulance men near here and I saw quite a few fellows in the town but no one I knew.

The mail man has been using me bad lately but I’m hoping he’ll do better.

Your affectionate son,
Herbert