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| Note there are two letters here. |
The World War I flu was a deadly virus that struck soldiers and civilians. The statistics show the grim toll of this disease: civilian deaths from influenza in the United States in 1918-19 are estimated at 500,000; battle casualties of the A.E.F were 48,909 dead--and 230,074 wounded--but total deaths in the army, navy, and marines were 112,432, the balance caused by disease, chiefly influenza.
(Summarized from Dr. Robert Ferrell's book Dear Bess)
Camp La Beholle, near Verdun
| Dear Bess: | January 12, 1919 |
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Last evening was a glorious one even if it was raining. A mail brought me three letters from you dated December 13, 16, 18, one from Fred, two from Mary, and one from Miss Maggie [Phelps]. I am so glad you are out of danger from that awful flu. You've no idea how uneasy I've been since hearing you and Mary had it. We over here can realize somewhat how you must have felt when we were under fire a little. Every day nearly someone of my outfit will hear that his mother, sister, or sweetheart is dead. It is heartbreaking almost to think that we are so safe and so well over here and that the ones we'd like to protect more than all the world have been more exposed to death than we. I am hoping that the worst is past and that from now on we'll never hear of it again. It seems that war and pestilence go hand in hand. If it isn't the Black Death it is something equally as fatal. We hear that the poor Russians are dying by hundreds and the damnable Hun is murdering himself for pleasure. I suppose it will be some time before we have a golden age of health, peace, and prosperity such as the ten years before 1914 were. . . . I do hope you are well and all right by this time. Be sure and write when you feel like it. I love you Always, Harry |
| Camp La Beholle, near Verdun |
| Dear Bess: | January 19, 1919 |
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. . . Please let me beg of you not to say anything about my letter of commendation, I only told it because I thought I was very lucky and that you'd like to know it. You know the most embarrassing thing that can happen to a fellow over here is to have his enthusiastic friends or relatives publish his private correspondence or hold him up as someone who deserves especial credit. There's not one of us who have done anything that any other one of us could not and would not have done if the opportunity had offered. Most real citations--and citations can only be made by generals in general orders--are a terrible embarrassment to the men they affect. There were three of our lieutenants cited and they are having an awful time living it down. Webster's letter of commendation is causing him no end of kidding just because his folks don't know what a citation is and what it means. General Traub made the fact that I happened to have the best chief mechanic in the artillery brigade a subject for a general memorandum and he wrote me a formal letter of commendation on the condition of my materiel. His statement was that it "showed especial efficiency in the commissioned and enlisted personnel of the organization." Well the enlisted personnel did the work and should have the credit. I sent the letter to Boxley, and if you care to see it he will show it to you. However I don't want it published because it can cause me to be court-martialed for stealing it out of the files of the organization, and would cause me no end of embarrassment. My chief mechanic happened to be a whirlwind and I happened to be lucky, and that's all there is to it. Be sure and keep writing. I love you Always, Harry |
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