Back Online

Quite obviously, I was not able to post when I promised. Now, however, I have a functioning computer with a USB port, and have been able to catch up.

A few comments about the previous letters:

1) Stars and Stripes, which Roy mentions, is a military newspaper which was founded during the Civil War and is still operational today.

2) Roy mentions creating a picture frame out of a French spad propeller. Such things were done quite often with found objects, particularly, I imagine, when soldiers were just waiting around for orders and didn't have much to do. I wish I knew what has become of the picture frame or if Roy ever finished it... Quite apart from being valuable, Trench Art is just plain interesting.

3) Note that Roy finally received the picture he asked Stella for nearly a year earlier. Nowadays they'd already be fb friends and he would have albums and albums to look through. Imagine waiting so long for just one photo...

March 23, 1919

This letter has an interesting combination of patriotism and self-consciousness. Roy doesn't want the Germans shown any pity and wishes the League of Nations would quit squabbling over terms. Yet, at the same time, Roy recognizes that his criticism largely comes from a strong desire to just go home.

My Dear Friend:

Took a notion to write a letter or two this evening but do not know how many I will get written. I owe four or five letters but am quite sure I shall not get that many written, anyway.

I want to thank you for the North Americans you sent me. Those two were the first real newspapers I read since last August and I sure did read them all through. One had a very good editorial in it and I agree with the man who wrote it. I say get the peace terms made up and bring the Huns to their knees and then discuss the League of Nations. Everyday the Hun gets the more confident he feels and he fakes up such excuses as needing food in order to get the best possible terms from the Allies. I say make them get to work and earn their living and perhaps the fighting and squabbling among themselves will stop. They will soon begin to think the Yanks will be foolish enough to feed the world and the Huns and Bolsheviks free of charge. It looks so to me. I may be all wrong for there are far wiser men than I working to solve such things. You see we boys over here have lots of time to think about such things and of course blame everybody and everything for not getting us home. One thing I believe: that is there are going to be some queer political views when the whole A.E.F. gets home.

A bunch of us were out taking pictures this afternoon and if they turn out good there should be some great pictures. I'll see how they are and if any good will send you one or two. I am hoping they will be good for we were all togged up for some of them and were in some old trenches.

For the past week the weather here has been a little better. The mud was beginning to dry up, but this evening it is raining again. I suppose winter in the States is about over and you should soon be having nice warm weather.

Well, I hope I may soon be able to enjoy some of it with you. I had some hopes that I might be home by May thirtieth and I sure was hoping that you had the right notion when you said you thought I would be home some time in May, and I still hope that you were right but it begins to look doubtful. If there no signs of going home soon I shall make it July Fourth and hope to be home by then.

I cannot think of much to write. There is little or nothing doing around here. I am still driving but have very little to do, so I have not been getting around very much lately. I am hoping that we soon make a move one way or another. For as long as we stay over here we might better be moving about a little. Things get monotonous if we are at one place any length of time, especially a place like this. Briey is only a little town and no place to go, really. No Y.M.C.A. within fifteen miles. No other troops anyways near any more except some Colored Engineer companies.

Think I would better close. Stop this gloomy letter. Ha. Ha! In my spare time I am doing a little work on a picture frame which I am going to send you if you wish to have it--and if I think it is worth sending. Ha. Ha! I am cutting it out of a French spad propellor.

Well, it is almost time for 'lights out' and I see I shall get no more letters written tonight. I'll close this one though.

Most Sincerely,

Roy D.

Sgt Roy J Diehl

281st Aero Sqdn Amer E.F. France

France, March 10, 1919

Two things make this letter particularly interesting. first is the use of pseudonym "pushing up daisies" to mean "dead"--very in keeping with soldiers' general avoidance of directly describing unpleasant thoughts or experiences. Second is Roy's reference to the French women some of the "boys" were bringing back to the States and his avowal that he certainly doesn't see the appeal. One imagines that he hopes to comfort Stella and reassure her of his interest.

My Dear Friend:

Perhaps by the time you receive this letter you will have begun to think that I have forgotten you, started home; or, perhaps you will be thinking I am 'pushing up daisies.' Well certainly I am not pushing up daisies yet, for I am still very much alive. I haven't started home, sorry to say, nor have I forgotten you. I hardly know what kind of an excuse to offer for not writing but I will say that I started four or five letters and finished none of them simply because I was too disgusted with things to write letters. I could have written letters but I know you would not have enjoyed reading it. Not that I feel you are going to enjoy this letter but I will at least try to make it as pleasant as possible.

For one thing: I know I am not getting all of my mail. I got your letter of February 16th and also, I got the picture about two weeks ago, and I surely thank you for it. And you say you are sorry it is so unworthy of the wait. Well, I am not, though it was hard to wait for it. But then it was like you said of coming home, all the more appreciated when we do get it. Ha. Ha!

I have not yet received the papers you mailed nor the conclusion of that story, but have not yet lost hope. Anyway I want to thank you for them now and hope to still receive them. I have now several articles I want you to have, but since the mail seems so uncertain I hate to take a chance. I may send them later. If I do, I will be sure to tell you. If I do not send them I will bring them with me when I come home. If I ever do get home again. Ha. Ha! It surely does not look like getting home for some time, anyway.

Puzzle: What are you girls going to do when there are so many French girls coming home? I believe I could answer that better if I were able to speak to you personally. One thing I know. No one needs worry about me bringing any French girl back to the States, and I do not think much of any ones taste in bringing one back. They have got to be a whole lot nicer than any I have yet seen, before I bring any back. I prefer a girl to whom I can talk or who can talk to me for I am a poor conversationalist. Ha. Ha!

Sorry to hear of Elizabeths illness again but hope she is fully recovered by this time. I am glad to know you received the 'Stars and Stripes.' I sent you three, I think. But we cannot seem to get any up here. We have no Y.M.C.A. anymore. Haven't had any since we came to Briey. I sent you several copies of 'Le Mirrors' which I thought you might perhaps be interested in. Am also going to put several cards in with this letter. I sent some cards home some time ago but I do not think they ever received them for they said nothing about them.

I hope your visit to Claysburg was as enjoyable as the one I remember but wish I could have been there to help entertain you. The rest of the boys in my barracks are talking about a 'hobnail barrage' this evening so I had better close before they start it. When such a thing is pulled off the best thing one can do is get his hands on as many hobnail shoes as he can and get into it. They throw shoes, boots, stools, wash pans and anything they can get hold of. The last one we had we knocked out all the lights, broke up the stove, knocked down the stove pipe and did all sorts of damage! It was fun while it lasted but the next morning there was some scrambling to get our shoes and get out to Reville. You see we must have some sort of amusement sometimes. Ha. Ha!

I'll close. Most Sincerely Yours,

Roy Sgt Roy J. Diehl

281st Aero Sqdn Amer E.F. France

Technical Difficulties

Hello, loyal followers. I was due to post a letter mid-March, but, due to the fact that my computer can no longer do much more than heat up my desk, I've been unable to. Luckily, I have found the thumb drive on which I stored a copy of my project, and I will post the letter in the next 24 hours using my dear husband's computer, which functions (mostly).

Katherine

France, January 26, 1919

This letter is one of a handful in which Roy discusses politics and expresses an opinion on the events of the war. It's an interesting departure from the usual commentary on weather and everyday life. Of course, the Peace Conference would have meant a great deal to any American but especially to a soldier stuck overseas and far from home.

My Dear Friend:

I want to tell you this evening of our move we made last Tuesday. We left Behonne but instead of moving toward a post, as all had hoped, we came the other way, so now we are up toward Metz. Still in France but only about three miles from the Alsace-Lorraine border near the town of Briey. We are located on an old Bosche flying field and will have, I think, quite a nice place when we get fixed up a little more. There were some buildings here but no sleeping quarters, so we tore down some German hospital barracks and moved them about a mile and set them up again. They are not very large so with two small stoves in them we can keep them fairly warm and when we get bunks made we shall be O.K. As yet we have been sleeping on the floor.

For a mess hall and kitchen we tore down and rebuilt an old building. I understand we are not a part of the Third Army or Army of Occupation so I guess our hopes of getting home early are spoiled. I had figured that if I got home by next Fourth of July I would be lucky but now since we are up here I am beginning to think that if I get back by July Fourth 1920 I shall be lucky. Oh well, as long as we stay over here we have one thing to look forward to, and that is our home coming. Am I right? Ha, Ha!

I suppose you are having plenty of snow and winter weather back there now, are you not? We are having a spell of cold weather now and I hope it keeps it up for I sure was tired of the rain and mud. The ground has been frozen since last Tuesday and this evening it is snowing a little. I suppose we will not be getting any mail up here for a while as it seems when an outfit moves the mail gets tied up for a time. I received the first instalment of the story and read it and am now anxiously awaiting the rest of the story. Oh and also the picture. I have not forgotten that you said you might send me one. So don't forget, please.

How is school going? Have they opened up again? I had a letter from Dad a week or so ago and he told me of the apples and good things to eat. They live on a farm, you know, and I told him he should not write me anything like that anymore as he would make me homesick. Ha. Ha!

We are about a mile and a half from Briey but I have not seen the town in daylight yet but it seems to be like all the other French towns. This part of the country is French but was held by the Germans since 1914. I was down at Briey one evening to see a show. Two y women and a Lieutenant and the 28th Division Band. The 28th division boys are Pennsylvanians. The 110th Infantry was stationed here until a few days before we moved here. The 110th was the 5th Regiment Pennsylvania National Guard. They moved back somewhere and are on their way to port and expect to go home soon.

What does this Peace Conference look like to you now? I remember you did not seem to think much of the U.S. delegates. I have not been getting any papers for a couple of weeks but it seems to me that almost or perhaps altogether as much depends on the present conference as on the outcome of the actual war. I am not much on politics and worse yet I have not been reading much but it seems to me that if ever there was a time for earnest, honest and united action on the part of all Americans it is now. The Germans are licked but they are not over causing trouble by any means. They are playing for sympathy now.

I do not know of much more to write. anyway I think I have scribbled about enough for this evening, so will close.

Most Sincerely yours,

Roy Sgt Roy J. Diehl.

281st Aero Squadron, Amer E.F. France

France, Jan. 16, 1919.

This letter displays the desire for movement (in this case toward home) common to many letters written during WWI. Roy good-naturedly comments that the 282nd, the near equivalent to the 281st, has already been home for some time (though they didn't have the opportunity to tour France, as Roy did).

My Dear Friend:

I received your letter of Dec. 3rd a few days ago and the Christmas Card, too. Do you remember the verse on it? Well, anyway I assure you the 'almost' is not at all necessary, see? But the biggest trouble is: that I didn't have any Christmas Tree. I also got the First instalment of 'The Luck of Geraldine Laird' and am now eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

I had a letter from an old chum of mine a few days ago. He has been over here eighteen months and is now up at Cablence and no signs of going home. For that matter, it seems our chances of going home are quite slim, for the present, anyway. We are to move from here in a few days ago but we are moving in the wrong way. They say we are going up Briey, near Metz. The 282nd Squadron has been home some time. They were at Park Field with us and had four or five Altoona boys. I got a card from one of them saying he left England November 29, landed December 12th and was home December 14th. So they are a lucky bunch, are they not? But they never got farther than England. Well, we'll get back some day, I guess. I am still hoping that we may make it by July Fourth or next Christmas at the most. Ha. Ha!

The Flu must be going the rounds a second time, is it? My brother in Gresson had it and was quite ill I guess but is well again, I think.

I had quite an interesting trip yesterday. Was up at St Mihiel, Thiacourt and Mount See. These places were all taken by the Yanks and they certainly are tough looking places. They say the French took Mount See with a loss of 30,000 men but held it for only seventeen minutes. Some time later the Yanks took it and held it, too. It sure is a hard looking nut to crack. I saw a concrete dugout there that they said was the Crown Princes. His headquarters for time. It is a fine looking place for a dug out. Some real paintings on the walls of it. Thiacourt, I think, was one of the first places taken by the Americans in the big St Mihiel drive in September. That was about the time we landed here at this place.

I have been counting on getting my seven day service leave soon but if we move I may not be able to get it, though I hope I can. I wanted to go to Nice. I suppose you have often heard of that place. It is near Monaco and Monte Carlo and with these two places is one of the 'big show' places of all Europe. I would be willing to give up a trip like that though if I thought we would be going home, but fear our move is going to be in the wrong direction to go home.

My letter this evening may be a bit blue but can you blame me after hearing such orders as to get ready to move up instead of back toward good old U.S.A. as we all had hoped?

It is rather chilly in barracks tonight so I think I shall make up my bunk and 'get on the roost soon. Remember, I am still patiently looking for that picture you mentioned. I got myself a little Kodak a few days ago and now if I can get films for it I shall bring a few real pictures of Europe when I return. Films are very hard to get over here, you see the Government was taking all such things that could be made.

I'll close for tonight. My next letter may be written from up the country.

Sincerely yours

Roy Sgt Roy J Diehl 281st Aero Sqdn Amer E.F. France.

France Dec. 11, 1918.

Roy anticipates his return to the U.S. in this letter. The boys have been talking about their states (each proud of his own) and wish to return home. Roy shows his own state pride and recalls a banquet he attended over a year ago, back in Roaring Spring PA. Also notice that Stella seems to have finally agreed to send the picture Roy asked for nearly a year earlier.

My Dear Friend:

Your most welcome letter of November 14th was received yesterday evening, also the clipping and enjoyed them very much. You see it is not much reading I am doing now. The Y.M.C.A. in Bar-Le-Duc has books and Magazines but I do not seem to get time to read or enjoy them though many of the boys here do so. One thing the Y is doing and which I enjoy, and that is their hot chocolate and bread and jam. And most every time I get down to town I go and get some!

We expect to have our Field cleaned up here soon and then I do not know what we will do. Thirty of our men went up into Alsace-Loraine a few days ago to take care of some planes for the Army of Occupation which is going into Germany. They may be gone for several months and I do not know if we shall stay here until they return or not.

You say we can be proud of our state and we are and every Pennsylvanian should be. She surely has done her share in this war. There are some great arguments here sometimes between boys from different states. We have boys in the Squadron from Pa., Ohio, Mich, Wis, N.Y., Cal., Texas, Tenn., Miss., Ala., Mass., Conn., Fla., N.J., Ind., Ark., Mo, and Washington, D.C. and each one thinks his own state is the best one of all, consequently there are some hot arguments. The other guys call the Pennsylvanian boys coal miners and coal shovelers, while the Californians are prune-pickers Missourins are Mountaineers, Texans are Longhorns and so it goes.

I, too, am sorry we cannot share your nice weather as we have nothing but rain, rain, and more rain. Have had no snow yet and very little cold weather. In fact no cold weather yet it is cool and with the rain it is very disagreeable. So you cannot blame us if we would like to be back in good old U.S.A.

'If I care to have one of those pictures!' I sure would, and hope you will not change your mind. I shall certainly be pleased to receive one of them and shall thank you now in advance and will hope to speak my thanks at closer hand before many months. I believe I asked you for a picture some time ago, while I was in Tennessee. Did I not? I think I sent you a little snapshot from here. Did you ever receive it?

How is Elizabeth? And Mrs Shaffer? What do you think of President Wilson's trip to France? The report is that he is to land at Brest. That is the port at which we landed August 26th but I do not suppose he will go to a rest camp as we did. Ha, Ha! We spent about ten days at Pontanegeu Barracks one of Napoleons old Headquarters and it is some place too, I'll tell you. Bar-Le-Duc is quite an old town, too, you know we are about a mile from there now. It dates back to the eleventh century. One old tower is still standing having been built in the tenth century. It is also the birthplace of President Poincare of France.

I just happened to think that tonight one year ago I had one grand and glorious supper. Mr. Kurtz of the Standard gave a banquet at the Eldon Inn at Roaring Spring to the five boys who were leaving for the Service. We are all in France now I think and instead of a banquet and big supper I had black coffee, beef-stew boiled potatoes, hard bread and molasses for supper. Quite a contrast but we seem to be enjoying it at that. We are all getting fat anyway. I think I must weigh about 176 pound now. One thing is worrying me, though I am afraid I will be too stout to wear my old civilian clothes and surely will not have enough money to buy new ones. Ha, Ha! It will be odd for us to have to buy our clothes and hard to pick what we want, I guess. You see in the Army we do not have watch the styles Ha, Ha!

Well I believe I have scribbled enough for this time. Please do not forget the picture nor change your mind. I really want one. I'll bring you a souvenir from France in exchange. Is it a bargain? Ha, Ha! It's almost time for 'lights out' and my bunk is not yet made up so Good night!

Most sincerely Yours,

Roy D.