George's first letter home to his family.

L.I.   N.Y.
Sept 7 – 17

Dear Mother & Father

  It certainly seemed funny to wake up Thur. morning and find myself so far from home. I hope you are all well and happy as I am the same I was certainly glad to see you at the train before I left. Elizabeth that fuge didn't last five minutes. it certainly was good. we got into St Louis 5:00 P.M. next day, we left the train and marched up through the city for exercise. I had been helping cook all the way up so I could get all I could eat. Our train meals consists of coffee canned beans, potted ham, tomatoes
 

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bread, and sometimes sugar in the coffee. U.S. certainly feed their men well especially me. If you don't help yourself, nobody will. we went through the center of St. L. — some city.
Our train was al marked up with writing. Kansas devils, not drafted, submarine chase etc. We certainly had lots of fun on the train. Every bod cheered us at every town. some towns blowed their whistles. At Columbus Ohio we went up through the streets for exercise landed there at 10.00 next day. We went on the Penn lines from St Louis. They certainly speed.
 

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Arrived at Pittsburg 7 P.M. Tuesday night. Say talk about a city you could lose K.C. in Pittsburg, sure is some nyg(?) city. We met the K.C Signal Corps on the way some of the fellows I knew. After we left Pittsburg out through the mountains this night, some of the prettiest seens you ever saw, around horseshoe bend some seen. We seen the Bethlehem steel Co smelters - never seen such big places. At platsburg penn every whistle in town blew you ought to have heard us fellows yell. That all we did when we came into a town.
 

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At Philadelphia Penn. we marched through the streets This is a real pretty city. We came into New York on wednesday evening all the way from Phila to N.Y. is just a regular city, all the way. We went through the big station at N.Y. under the Hudson River and several other rivers. I thoght we would never get through N.Y. it is so big. We had 2 spec train 3 men to a double seat. It was night when we got to camp. The rainbow div have been coming into camp as fast as they can get here.
 

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We walked about 3 miles before we arrived to our camp. You can't see nothing but soldiers all around. We had to put up our pup tents to sleep in this night, but got our squad tent next day. Talk about being busy it is sure a job to get things straightened out for a decent camp, especially the way the goverment want it. Our camp is laid out in Co streets. There is a Areoplane school close bye areoplane in the air all the time. We are about 4 miles from the ocean. I have not had time to go leave camp yet.
 

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There is about 30,000 soldiers here so it is said. They gave us rain coats, and more blankets it is warm in day time but awful cool at nihts. There is a Y.M.C.A. on the grounds here. The bunch is all down there now just rousing the dickens. They have a victrola and piano. People come out from N.Y. and give enter tain ments there. I wrote some cards at diferent cities on the trains I hope you got them, also from here. Mama I hope you are keeping well and not worrying abut me don't do that. Because if anybody
 

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is going to look after Geo is is going to be me. Everybody for himself. If papa happens to build be sure and let me know. If you can't read this letter it is is not my fault. I am setting on the end of a cot trying to write on my knee. Papa how are things going with you. I hope your are well and happy and not working to hard. It is not known when we will go to France but it can't be very long. You know it take quite a while to get a letter back and forth so don't be long in writing.

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