Miss Pearsall must be the landlady at Herb's apartment at 193 Sterling Place in Brooklyn.
Nothing is popping out at me in my research on Google about the BT Company; sorry to be of no help there.
Remember we found Tom Nial here.
We learn that younger brother Harry has a bad heart? Did we know this from before? And the Shermans are Herb's Aunt and Uncle from Troy, NY.
June 11th (1918)
Dear Mother,
I’m afraid I’ve missed several writing days but we’ve been moving around so much and so fast that it’s been impossible to write. I sent you a card last week – the first opportunity I had to get anything in the mail.
As I told you there we were mixed up in a big action and for more than a week we had a pretty lively time of it. However we pulled through in pretty good shape. Though we lost some cars + most of us had to abandon at least part of our surplus clothing. We’re back in rest camp now in a big pine grove and it certainly seems fine to settle down for a while with no fear of being ordered out any minute. There’s a nice little stream nearby so we can enjoy the luxury of frequent baths after having gone duty longer than I’d like to say.
We’ve had only one mail for a long time – but it brought me several letters from you. I had also a letter from Miss Pearsall. It seems that all the old gang in 193 is over here now. She’s looking forward to a big reunion and says that there’ll always be room for us all if she has to eject a few of the present occupants.
I had a letter from Chas, too. He’s putting things into shape because he expects his 2A classification will call him out pretty soon. They’ve had to move his department to larger quarters again and he says for me not to worry about after the war – what with the way things are going with him. He’s been very busy, of course, on the 3rd loan, in fact, he was the principal author of the B.T. Co. pamphlet which was adjudged the best one presented. He sent me a copy of it + it certainly was a sweet piece of work.
You gave me Tom’s address in one of your letters so I shall write him this week. Remember me to Mrs. Nial.
I’m sorry Harry is doing nothing. I don’t like to interfere any further, but I do think that if Uncle Will can still get him something in the Arsenal, he ought to take it. In times like these, every one ought be working. At any rate, he ought not be worrying about the future, now. I’m not – and I’ve got more reason than he. If he can get a job within his strength, he ought take it. If the salary is at all reasonable and not worry about whether he likes it or not. I don’t believe anyone can expect to be settled into a permanent line of work at his age. At any rate, anything ought be better than being home. On the other hand he ought not enlist. No one with a bad heart ought to be in the active service.
I suppose the Shermans are on Easy St. now. It’s nice that Will is doing so well and I hope he keeps on.
Don’t worry whenever there is a break in my chain of letters. All it means is that the mail system is a bit jumbled up. At any rate it certainly doesn’t mean that anything has happened to me. If there were any bad news you’d get it fast enough. I’m fine – never felt better in my life.
Love to all,
Herb.
The History Channel came up with this for me - about an hour away from where Herb is writing this letter.
Battle of Belleau Wood begins
The first large-scale battle fought by American soldiers in World War I begins in Belleau Wood, northwest of the Paris-to-Metz road.
In late May 1918, the third German offensive of the year penetrated the Western Front to within 45 miles of Paris. U.S. forces under General John J. Pershing helped halt the German advance, and on June 6 Pershing ordered a counteroffensive to drive the Germans out of Belleau Wood. U.S. Marines under General James Harbord led the attack against the four German divisions positioned in the woods and by the end of the first day suffered more than 1,000 casualties.
For the next three weeks, the Marines, backed by U.S. Army artillery, launched many attacks into the forested area, but German General Erich Ludendorff was determined to deny the Americans a victory. Ludendorff continually brought up reinforcements from the rear, and the Germans attacked the U.S. forces with machine guns, artillery, and gas. Finally, on June 26, the Americans prevailed but at the cost of nearly 10,000 dead, wounded, or missing in action.
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