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| Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Thelma, Uncle Charlie |
This is a photo from my Grandmother's photo album, with her handwritten caption, "our family now". I'm not sure what the exact date was that she wrote this but it aptly describes how she felt about having her two oldest sons, my father, Frank and my Uncle John, away at war.
My father served in the U.S. Navy and my Uncle John was a member of the Army's Company H, 364 Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces - better know as the Wild West Division. The following are a couple of the post cards he mailed home while en route to New York to board a ship to France.
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| June 29, 1918 |
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| July 11, 1918 |
I have a complete collection of the letters my Uncle John wrote home to his Mother and they are the subject of a book I am currently writing. The story does not have a happy ending for my uncle was severely wounded and died in a Base Hospital in France a few days before the end of the war was declared. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery in action.
If you are interested in vintage WWI postcards check out Casey's blog http://artandcolour.blogspot.com/2010/08/world-war-1-postcardprinting-error-and.html
Thanks for the scans...so interesting. I just can't get over how well heeled so many of the families seem to be. I see your family was from Calif. Mine seemed to get "stuck" in the midwest in a very rural existence. I know there were families in this area who did have some money but I do believe a majority were quite poor (esp in the farming community.)
ReplyDeleteSo sad about your Uncle. Are you writing a book for your own family or for the public?
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The family had on their Sunday best, they were farmers and I am finishing up the scans that show the tough and dusty side of life as well.
ReplyDeleteThe book will be for the public and to honor my Uncle who I never had the chance to meet, but I was very close to my Grandma, so it will be for her as well in a way. I never realized when I was young what a terrible loss she had suffered.
I have been getting a little bogged down with the writing and have decided to post some of the writings to a special blog. It may help me to outline a bit better what I want to say. I will let you know when I get it set up.
writing in a blog, or any 'destination' will definitely help you organize your thoughts and original materials/ we're very much on the same wavelength these days! many of my posts will be fleshed out and become parts of my book. i'm sorry about your uncle. i can't think of anyone in my family that was killed or wounded in a war, and they fought in all of them. you have definitely a different angle to work from.
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