Thomas Leece
Thomas Leece
Co. F. 128th Inf N.G.
American E.F.
Sept 18th, 1918.
Dear Uncle & Aunt,
I am writing you a few lines to let you know I am well, hoping you are all the same.
Well, I am about to leave the hospital will go back to the lines where my out fit are they have been there for a long time now, guess they wont be releaved (sic) till the war is over, it looks a good deal like it any way. They call us the fighting Thirty-second., and I guess they are right about that as we have been at it for a long while. Oh, but I sure will have some things to tell when I get back. I all ways said I am going back home. I have seen just as big a battle as there has been yet. Oh, you can not imagine what it is like. I never had any idea what it was till I saw it all.
Why, you don’t care for nothing just fight after the huns. The Germans are afraid of the Americans, they have made such remarks as that to us. Well I do think we have them now, they are falling back fast, you ought to hear how the French praise us Yankees, we get along fine with them, and try to learn French, will be some Frenchman when I get home. Ha Ha.
Well I got a lot of new stuff from the red cross, to go back with as I lost all I had on the lines, tooth paste brush soap and other things, even lost my good Watermans fountain pen while I was up there, I sure was mad about it cause it was a dandy.
I am over in France now six months. I have one gold services stripe on my left sleeve, we get one for every six months in this war zone, I also have another on my right sleeve but it is a wound stripe, but I was not wounded I was gassed, but you see gass (sic) is just as bad as wounded so we are issured (sic) them to wear. I am sure got decorated up.(sic) I have a friend in the hospital who also has been gassed. He sure is a prince of a boy, I hate to leave him behind in the hospital, he is in the field Artillery. I had a good mind to transfer in his outfit, but I don’t want to leave my own Division, he told me he would write to you, he is a Pennsylvania boy. He is just a few months younger than I am but he has been in the Army four years now. He was down on the boarder (sic) after villa. His father died the day he left for France his mother is living in PA. He writes to her every other day, so you know how much he loves her. Well, I think I will come to a close as it is getting late. Tell all Hello for me, from your ever loving Nephew.
Thomas Leece
Co. F. 128th Inf.
American EF
(Envelope addressed to: Mr. Evan Leece, North Freedom, Wisconsin.)