There is not another letter to post until November 30th, yet I thought I should post a little something today--Armistice Day. "At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918, hostilities ceased on the western front. Roy J. Diehl had only been overseas for a few months and had seen no action due to America's late entrance into the war. It must have been a joyous yet anticlimactic moment for American soldiers who hadn't made it to the front yet, but although they may not have taken part in the majority of the fighting, they did play a role in maintaining order following the peace agreement. They also had the opportunity to travel, which Roy J. Diehl took advantage of. You'll read his descriptions of the French Riviera in later letters.
Some things I did not learn in high school history (this could fill an entire book, but I'm keeping it specific to US and British involvement in WWI):
- the US tried very hard not to become involved in the war, instead attempting to mediate between opposing sides, and when congress at last declared war the move was rather unpopular. In fact, US involvement in the war was seen as a mistake by the majority of US citizens until Hitler's rise to power, when attitudes changed.
-WWI aided suffragettes in their cause. When women were needed to perform the duties of men away at war, governing bodies no longer had any semblance of a leg to stand on when it came to denying women the right to vote. Britain granted women the vote in 1918; the US was woefully behind and didn't grant it until 1920. For an amazing account of the struggle for voting rights and the bravery of women serving as nurses during the war, read Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain.
These are interesting tidbits to consider on a day meant to honor veterans, who were/are not always respected, and whose ranks included those women who fought for the vote and kept their composure in the face of injuries never seen before.
A collection of letters written by Roy J. Diehl to his future wife, Stella, transcribed and annotated by her great-granddaughter...me.
The Letters of Roy J. Diehl (Jay Roy Diehl)
From 1917-1919, Roy J. Diehl, a railroad worker from Pennsylvania, wrote a series of letters to Stella Custer, his future wife, while he was enlisted in the 281st Aero Squadron. Most published letter collections consist of letters penned by men of education, rank, or fame. Roy J. Diehl was neither highly educated, highly ranked, nor famous, but his letters provide an interesting and valuable look at the life of an ordinary enlisted man, untainted by the notion that he may be writing to a wide audience or that anything beyond his relationship with Stella, his future betrothed, rests on what he says. Still, his letters display the usual characteristics of war-time correspondence; Sergeant Diehl omits potentially sensitive information about activities in his Squadron, treats probably disgusting or horrific situations with a certain amount of nonchalance, speaks in cliches of patriotism, and continually thinks of movement and distance.
Roy
Roy J. Diehl was born Jay Roy Diehl in Henrietta, Pennsylvania in 1890. He had three brothers: Edward, Asher, and Jim. Though one might imagine a man just out of his teens writing these letters to a sweetheart back home, Roy was actually 27 when he enlisted and had a career as a railroad worker under his belt. According to his daughter, Jean Dodson, he lived in both Chicago and Philadelphia before settling in Altoona, the town in which he enlisted on December 14, 1917. Shortly thereafter he went to Claysburg, PA, where “the boys” stayed until they were transferred to military bases across the country.
Roy was eventually transferred to Park Field Tennessee, a military base a few miles outside of Memphis. There, he worked as a truck driver, since his education prohibited him from becoming a pilot (Roy completed basic school but did not go beyond the 8th grade—surprising, considering his excellent writing skills). Before shipping out, Roy’s unit, the 281st Aero Squadron, stayed in Garden City on Long Island, New York. After that, it is difficult to determine where, exactly he was, because he could not say anything more than “somewhere in France” in his letters until after the Armistice. Gorrell’s History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919 provides some information, however; according to the section on the 281st, Roy’s unit stayed in Brest, St. Maixent, Colombey-les-Belles, and Behonne. When the military lifted its harsh censorship following the peace agreement, the 281st was in Bar-Le-Duc. When all was said and done, Roy had only been in France for a little over a year and had seen little to no action. America’s late entrance into the war kept him from serious harm, but Roy’s experience certainly instilled a strong sense of duty and patriotism in him.
After he returned from the Great War, Roy worked for a car manufacturer. He and Stella married in 1923 and settled in Philipsburg, PA. They had one daughter: Jean Dodson (born Jean Frances Diehl). Unfortunately, Roy lost his job when the Depression hit, though he did get a very small veteran’s pension. Through the depression he worked out of his garage as an automobile mechanic, fixing neighbors’ cars in return for money and once, according to Jean, a case of bubblegum. The family eventually moved to Johnstown, where Roy worked for a garage as a mechanic until WWII, when he decided to go into defense work after being turned away when he tried to enlist. He moved to York to work in a defense factory, followed by his family a few months later when Jean graduated from high school. He stayed at the factory until the end of the war, when he got a job for Ford Motor Company as a garage mechanic. He worked there until Jean graduated from college. When she married, Roy and Stella moved to Roaring Spring to be close to their daughter and her young family. When Stella died, Roy moved in with his daughter’s family. He lived to the age of 93.
Roy was eventually transferred to Park Field Tennessee, a military base a few miles outside of Memphis. There, he worked as a truck driver, since his education prohibited him from becoming a pilot (Roy completed basic school but did not go beyond the 8th grade—surprising, considering his excellent writing skills). Before shipping out, Roy’s unit, the 281st Aero Squadron, stayed in Garden City on Long Island, New York. After that, it is difficult to determine where, exactly he was, because he could not say anything more than “somewhere in France” in his letters until after the Armistice. Gorrell’s History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919 provides some information, however; according to the section on the 281st, Roy’s unit stayed in Brest, St. Maixent, Colombey-les-Belles, and Behonne. When the military lifted its harsh censorship following the peace agreement, the 281st was in Bar-Le-Duc. When all was said and done, Roy had only been in France for a little over a year and had seen little to no action. America’s late entrance into the war kept him from serious harm, but Roy’s experience certainly instilled a strong sense of duty and patriotism in him.
After he returned from the Great War, Roy worked for a car manufacturer. He and Stella married in 1923 and settled in Philipsburg, PA. They had one daughter: Jean Dodson (born Jean Frances Diehl). Unfortunately, Roy lost his job when the Depression hit, though he did get a very small veteran’s pension. Through the depression he worked out of his garage as an automobile mechanic, fixing neighbors’ cars in return for money and once, according to Jean, a case of bubblegum. The family eventually moved to Johnstown, where Roy worked for a garage as a mechanic until WWII, when he decided to go into defense work after being turned away when he tried to enlist. He moved to York to work in a defense factory, followed by his family a few months later when Jean graduated from high school. He stayed at the factory until the end of the war, when he got a job for Ford Motor Company as a garage mechanic. He worked there until Jean graduated from college. When she married, Roy and Stella moved to Roaring Spring to be close to their daughter and her young family. When Stella died, Roy moved in with his daughter’s family. He lived to the age of 93.
Stella
Stella Custer, to whom Roy writes in this collection of letters, was born in Johnstown in 1899. She was unlike her husband in that she really took to school. She finished her high school education, took up a job teaching 8th grade English after that, and taught until she married Roy. She had one brother—Howard—who married Betty Shaffer, whose mother ran a boarding house in Claysburg. Stella’s daughter, Jean, theorizes that this boarding house is probably where her parents met. After all, Roy stayed for a while in Claysburg before leaving for Tennessee, and probably needed a room to stay in while there. His letters also refer to the Shaffers frequently, suggesting that they are the mutual acquaintances by whom he met Stella.
At the time she met Roy, Stella would have been very young—only 17 or 18—with Roy nine years her senior. Knowing this, it makes sense that they waited until 1923 to marry. Though Roy was certainly old enough to be married by then, Stella was still a young bride.Once they were married, Stella quit teaching English—according to Jean, Stella wasn’t allowed to teach once she had a husband. Stella stayed at home and took care of her daughter, who describes her as a very smart, generous, and strong woman.
Though her writing isn’t represented here, Stella was a great correspondent as well. Jean has preserved all of the letters written to her by her mother while she (Jean) was overseas with her husband. Sadly, Stella died in 1962, many years before her husband, while Jean and her family were living on the other side of the world.
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