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My Grandfather's Diary

My Grandfather’s Words: Thursday July 18, 1918 and Friday July 19, 1918

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Thursday

The weather was cool this morning and then again in toward evening, but hot in the middle of the afternoon.

For breakfast we had beef heart in sauce, fried spuds, and a banana. Lunch was sliced boiled ham and cabbage and pickles. For supper we had fried spuds, peas, bread and water, and watermelon.

It was the usual routine today: Up at 6:15, I had to hustle to get bathed and dressed for reveille. Had to repeat at the hospital this A.M. & was not attended to, had to return in the P.M. & then I must go again tomorrow. My eyes had been bothering me a great deal lately. They are smarting and feel as if there is sand in them. They are gummed up with matter in the mornings. At times my vision goes blank for a moment.

Friday

Weather is hot.

I hardly remember what I ate today. I was up at the usual time, bathed and dressed in time for reveille. After breakfast, I went to the hospital again. Yesterday, they used Homatropine in my eyes (made from atropine, which is extracted from belladonna, and used to dilate the eyes), and I couldn’t see to write. Today, I am wearing dark glasses until tomorrow. They have ordered me new glasses. I will report Monday to get them.

Just met with Sargent Knudson. He asked me what I was doing. I told him laying around until my eyes were better. He asked if I was reporting on sick call. I said no. He said I had better or I would get in trouble if anyone reported me.

—Writing this all on Saturday—

My Grandfather's Diary

My Grandfather’s Words: Tuesday July 16, 1918

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Weather is hot, but cooled as the evening drew near.

Breakfast: liver and onions, fried spuds, plums, and coffee.

Dinner: Fresh roast beef, mashed spuds with gravy, cabbage, bread and pudding

Supper: pork chops, peas, pie, and cocoa to drink.

Scan0012Up at 6:15 and had to hustle to get bathed and  dressed for reveille at 6:20. I made it. The usual morning routine. I pushed the water cart at breakfast. I found a letter from Mary Dear when I got in at noon. She is getting along so well. I am so glad. I can thank God that He cares for her and is bringing her back to health and strength again. My dear little wife. How I miss her down here.

I was detailed to the warehouse this afternoon. This is how it happened: I went to the office to see Sargent Knuthen about getting a transfer to the shop at one O’clock. Then I went out to No. 6 corral to work. I hadn’t been there long when Sargent Murphy came out hunting for Milligan to detail him to the warehouse. I told him Milligan was on the hay force. At least, that’s what I thought. Then Carlyle, the civilian boss, came up. He said the civilian laborers said Milligan was on the hay stack. The Sargent told him what he wanted him for. I spoke up and asked him to put me on. Carlyle told him he could recommend me more than any man in the corral. The Sargent thought a moment and then told me to report to the warehouse.

This evening there wasn’t much to do so I took it easy. I have written to Sweetheart tonight and will soon go to bed. I want to walk to town tomorrow evening to look for rooms for Mary Girl.

My Grandfather's Diary

My Grandfather’s Words: Sunday and Monday, July 14, 15, 1918

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Sunday

The weather was very hot through the afternoon and into the evening.

For breakfast I had two peaches, cornflakes, coffee, and bread. At lunch I enjoyed a spring chicken, spuds with gravy, ice cream, cake and cocoa. For supper we had a salad, water, and bread.

Up at 6:30 bathed and dressed in time for reveille at 6:45. After mess we were to have barracks inspections at 8:45. We were ordered to have all G.I. clothes out on bunks. It was supposed to be a checking inspection, too, but they did not check – just went through the barracks & looked them over.

Ralph had to feed today, so after noon mess I hiked over to the Cameron park. It is about two and a half miles from the remount east, past the base hospital. It is rather nice over there. There is a cool spring running water. That was the first natural cold drink I’ve had in Texas. I walked around over there quite a while then lay in the grass & read a while. I wrote part of a letter to Honey Girl. Continue reading My Grandfather’s Words: Sunday and Monday, July 14, 15, 1918 →

My Grandfather's Diary

My Grandfather’s Words: Thursday July 11, 1918

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Weather: hot in A.M, but a north wind cooled the evening.

For breakfast we had coffee, oatmeal, canned milk, bread, fried spuds. Lunch was jam, bread, water, and beef soup. Supper was watermelon, cake, cold salad with one small tomato, water, bread and rice.

Up at 6 A.M. bathed and dressed at 6:15 with the usual routine, revielle all call, police up, and breakfast. Sergeant Hasht told me to go get a team this A.M. Choose a team and then report at the warehouse. I did and helped unload a car of bran and then helped unload a car of hay. We took it out to No. 7 corral. 80 bales. A pretty strenuous day in all. I was not as tired as I was last evening though. I think pushing that water cart is about as hard as any job on the cleaning and feeding force.

I am getting acclimated a little so I don’t feel the work on the cleaning force is as hard as it used to be any how. At first when they put me on the cleaning force, and I was shoveling manure, I did overdo it, especially in the heat. I now take it a little bit easier.

I just ate the tomato. I had eaten so much watermelon for supper I could not eat the tomato so I put it in my pocket. It’s now 8:30 and am eating it now.

I had my daily letter from Honey Girl today & I wrote her this evening. She will be getting a bit over the operation by now, God willing. It is over two days now & tho her throat will be sore for a while yet she will be getting used to it now.

My Grandfather's Diary

My Grandfather’s Words: Wednesday July 10, 1918

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The weather is hot and cloudy this evening.

For breakfast we all received three hotcakes, spuds, coffee, bread and one orange. For lunch we had spuds, roast pork with apple sauce, bread, pudding, and water. For dinner we had rice boiled with beef, bread, juice, and water.

I was up this A. M. at 6:00. I took a cold shower and dressed by 6:15. Reveille, policing up and breakfast over, has a little A.M. reading. The biography and essays of Benjamin Franklin. He was rather a wild one when young though industrious & frugal.

I had a letter from Honey Girl this noon. She did not have the operation on her throat until Tuesday. That was yesterday. I understand now why I felt so nervous yesterday and this A. M. My dear wife, if anything were to happened to her I would not want to live. She is the dearest in all the world to me.

We worked today in No. 8 & 9. I hoped to get finished & started on another one tomorrow. I think we are getting behind on the corral cleaning. We have been short of wagons & men & of course are not making much progress. Most of the outfit is unloading hay & storing it in the sheds. They are scraping out the old hay from the sheds and storing the new.

149151468_xsI ate the last of Mary’s 4th of July cake night before last. It was good. Last night & tonight I had a glass of mild at the restaurant. It is good. It is worth the nickel. Milk in town is 20 cents a quart & not at all plentiful for that price.

There has been times when I would pay a dollar for a quart of cold milk since I’ve been here.

My Grandfather's Diary

My Grandfather’s Words: Saturday July 6, 1918

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543-taken-at-camp-macarthur-waco-texas-durWeather: Hot as usual.

Breakfast: Grapenuts, milk, fried spuds, bread, coffee. For dinner (lunch) we had boiled ham, cabbage, spuds, bread, water. Supper was sliced ham, cabbage, boiled spuds, bread, pudding, peaches, water, raisin pie.

Usual routine, up at six bathed & dressed by 6:20. Revielle, breakfast, finished a letter to honey-girl, then to work at 7:20. Worked till 11:15, came in, found a package in my mailbox from sweetheart, no letters. Shaved before dinner, then to work again at one. Worked till four, then quit for the day. Had a bath, changed into my uniform & was ready for supper.

Went to see the canteen sergeant about a job as short order cook. Some of the boy’s said it paid $10.00 a month extra. Told the sergeant I could hold it down. He wanted to know where I had cooked before. I told him “to home”. I told him I had “batched a year on a farm.” He didn’t say much, said that he wanted a cook’s helper, that he was not sure about the extra pay. They had promised extra pay, but he was not sure about it yet. It was not a satisfactory visit.

Went to library. Drew out two books. American short stories & Life of Franklin to read.

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Mess call at six. Ate supper, washed out some clothes, then read awhile. Ralph E. and J. Bohi came along. They were going to the Y to weigh themselves. They urged me to go along. I went & was weighed at 155 1/2. I’m getting used to the grub and the climate. Back to barracks. Read awhile, then to bed about 10:40.

My Grandfather's Diary

My Grandfather’s Words: Friday July 5, 1918

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Weather: Hot. Fair.

Breakfast was meat loaf, bread, fried spuds, and juice. For dinner we had beans, tomatoes, water, bread, beef, and onions. For supper we had bread, water, and cornstarch pudding.

A usual day…up at 6, a cold shower & dressed by 6:30. Reveille & breakfast & work as usual. Two letters at noon. One from Mary Dear & one from Mother. Mary will have her tonsils taken out tomorrow at 1:10. I am worrying, more or less. Yet I know she is in God’s hand. He will take care of her. Mother & the boys are well. They expected to stay home on the 4th, but they may go to Marshall, she thought.

Ben never writes to me. I guess he does not care for my telling him of the Lord Jesus. I surely wish he were saved or that I could make him see his need of a Savior.

I don’t know much else to write tonight. Just finished a letter to Mary so will go to my bunk. 9:45 P.M.