Literally Tons to Pack - 5/17/1918

Camp Sheridan

May 17th

My Dear Dad: - 

This will probably be the last letter your shall rec. from me, postmarked Camp Sheridan, Ala.

I rec. Mother's letter of May 14th. 

We worked from 5:30 A.M. till 8:30 tonight putting the finishing touches on our equipment. The equipment of each Camp Infirmary exclusive of our personal equipment, is 28 boxes & crates, ranging in weight from 45 pounds to 2,090 pounds. There are 5 boxes & crates weighing from 45 to 65 lb. 16 b. & c. weighing 93 to 110 lb. Several weighing about 250 lb. My wagon is all apart & crated, it weighs 2090 pounds, exclusive of wheels, which weigh 610 lb (crated separate). The wagon complete, exclusive of four sets of harness weighs 2700 lb. We have two of the wagons loaded on the train (we did it today & we load our Medical Supplies tomorrow. 

As far as we can learn we leave with the 145th Infantry Regiment, on Monday or Tuesday. We think we are going to Camp Lee, Va. 

I understand that they only allow the soldiers to write a couple letters a week, while on "Over sea" services, so if that is the case, I will write a letter home one week & write to Leona the next week, then that will allow me to write one letter a week to my friends. 

Don't send any mail to this camp after Monday or Tuesday for I feel sure I shall not be here to receive it. By the way, I also rec. the magazines today. 

Well, I don't know where, we will be be sent when we leave this country but we are all curious to get over there and assist in hurrying the close of this damned war. 

You would be surprised could you have seen the change the "Pep" of this Div. when the orders come to move. Everybody is full of pep and anxious to get moving. 

Well I am too tired to write any more so will close.

I was very sorry to hear of the death of Mr. Nelson. He was a very good friend of mine & was very kind to me. 

Feeling fine & Dandy

Love to All

Your Son,

Howard

I found this fun memory book that the men from the Buckeye Division created, mixing essays of memories of their time together along with cartoons. I'm sure this won't be the last time that I reference it! As the 37th got ready to leave Camp Sheridan, it's strange to think that they would eventually become nostalgic for this place, considering all they really wanted to do was leave. It sounded like Montgomery treated them pretty well. The men could ride street cars into town, where they enjoyed peanut stands, soft drink parlors, and "real theaters and motion-picture theaters." 

When I first started exploring what solider life was like at Camp Sheridan, the description of tents and mess halls seemed primitive compared to Howard's old life in comfortable Toledo. However, the "boys" looked back fondly at things that were comparative luxuries to what they would encounter in Europe. They sang the praises of "regular" tents, "chow" at the mess hall, and "shower baths where hot water burst from spouts."