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.