Herb has made it to Luxembourg

Well, I have been asleep at the wheel again.... I thought I had posted all the letters, but alas, I had only made it through the 19th of November. So, we continue our journey with Herb the following week:

November 27 [1918]

Dearest Family,

Today finds me in a small town in northern Luxembourg. I can’t say that I like it very much though I have a nice comfortable room in the village priest’s house. After the wonderful welcome we had every where in Belgium this country is sort of an anti-climax. In Belgium, the people couldn’t do enough for us. Even the smallest villages had some attempt at decoration in honor of the advancing troops and all the people were only too glad to take us into their houses. In the towns there were regular celebrations and being with the advance guard division we came in for them all. All the Belgians in the country through which we passed spoke French and were very friendly to the French troops whom they look upon as their deliverer. Here in Luxembourg things are quite different. The common language is German though a few speak French. That of course leaves me out of it because I have no German at all and am quite helpless. The usual sentiment, too, is pro-German. The government is pro-Ally because that is good policy or the people have to accept us but they don’t do it because they like us overly well. Any way they are suspicious of all soldiers on general principles because the Germans used to steal from them. The priest speaks French with a German accent and is nice to us from motives of policy but I strongly suspect him of being pro-German. However he keeps fire in all our rooms so I shouldn’t be too harsh on him I suppose.

During all our trip through Belgium the weather was wonderful. It just was cold, to be sure, below freezing point most of the time but clear and bracing. Just like the good winter weather home, in fact and a great relief after the rain and dampness in France. Just as soon as we truck Luxembourg that changed and we have had three days of very disagreeable rainy weather. The country is very pretty, mountainous and well wooded. The roads are wonderful though the frequently almost double back on themselves in winding around through the steep hills.

There have been several deliveries of mail this past week but no letters from you or Karolyn. I had one letter from Nellie Graham and one from Mr. Friedman. Mrs. Friedman is working in Washington on the Labor Board now. They have a baby son but Mrs. F didn’t say when it was born. His name is Francis Lee.

There is no news about what is going to happen to us. Perhaps we shall find out before long. With best love,
Your affectionate son + brother
Herb.





I wonder who the priest was. I wonder if one could ever know/find out.

What a wonderful vision - of people welcoming the troops. I suppose we have seen it imagined in plenty of movies.

I am reading a book right now in which the father comes home from WW1 shell shocked. I wonder if Herb ever suffered from shell shock.