January 26, 1919 – Letter to Robert’s mother:

Lérouville

Dearest Mother,

I am across the Meuse River from Pont Sur Meuse tonight. They are having church in our Y so I came over here. This is a much better Y anyway. They serve hot chocolate. Yes, actually give it away free. The 110th Engrs. are billeted here.

I got your letter the other day and I was very glad to hear from you. Of course I hear from you real often any way through Dad or the girls but I like yours best of all. I wish I could have had more of them when the war was going on. They do one a lot of good when going over the top. Just a letter from a fellow’s mother in his pocket. It is absolutely against orders to take a letter into a drive but I bet every soldier had one or more somewhere about him if they had a mother at all. I did not have a picture of you though.

Your last letter was just fine. Now I know that you love me and my boy. He is going to be raised the way that you want a boy raised too.

I have forgotten my cousin Agnes’ last name and so I cant write her a letter thanking her for a nice box she sent me a couple of weeks ago. Now I will have to write to Aunt Aggie and ask her for it. I know that it is awful but it can’t be helped now.

I went to Commercy yesterday and saw Art Herbert. He went “absent without leave” to Paris to visit his father in law who is a Red Cross man there so they made him a private. He was a sergeant. I don’t blame him for going either. It took nerve.

You will be at the late when I get back or perhaps you will be back at 1898 for the winter again.

If you + Dad can get away why don’t you meet me in Scotland. I can get mustered out here if G.H.Q. is willing to O.K. my request. Wouldn’t we have a good time visiting for a couple of weeks and then go across the channel and see the Flanders Front. It wouldn’t cost such an awful lot.

If Gilbert was in the hospital he would not be able to write very often or if he went to Germany things would be the same,

Mr. Neilson has quit Swift + he wrote me that I should be sure to call on his successor, for a job as soon as I was ready to go to work again but I want to see you + Dad first before I decide what i will do.

Nora says that she will not leave Sauk Rapids until I come for her and she is right too. Don’t you think so. Then we will visit you for a week before I get to work. We have decided to start right in and save for a home of our own first so I am anxious to get some kind of a job at once.

Well I must quit + go back before 9 o’clock or I might get punched by the M.P.’s (Military Police)

Love to all, Rob.

I could not write in the billet ‘cause some of the boys were talking about things to eat that I have not tasted for years it seems.

Your son Robert.

Another letter that says so much about Robert and his relationships back home.

Where was Robert today? See the timeline.