My grandfather, Peter Linn, served during World War I, spending time in the trenches in France. He wrote several letters home, and I'm happy to be in possession of one. In his own handwriting, Peter wrote a letter to his family, written on YMCA letterhead with a stamped "On Active Service With the American Expeditionary Forces". Please use the link to see Grandpa's handwriting. Below that, I've transcribed his letter for easier reading.
Thank you to our family Veterans and all Veterans during this time, originally known as Armistice Day in honor of the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. Grandpa's letter was written just two months before then.
Peter Linn Letter Home 2 September 1918
TRANSCRIPT:
Dear folks,
Wrote you a letter some time ago but thought I would write again as it takes a long time for mail to go across. I received your letter and also the one Frank wrote to you but haven't heard from you direct from home since I came here but am looking every day for some mail from someone back there. Haven't heard from Frank yet and haven't wrote to him for I thought maybe he had moved by this time, so will wait till I hear from him. My address will be the same as it is all the time.
I am over here and feeling fine and hope you all are the same. I have heard from Elsie. I have got four letters from her. She says she has my sweater made so you can tell her I will try and fix it so she can send it to me. I will write to her as soon as I find out.
I suppose you are all through threshing by this time. You ought to see how they thresh over here. They seed by hand and the machine is run with one horse so they don't thresh any faster than I could carry the grain away in my cap.
So I heard you say that you sold Cannon Ball to Charley Lundgren. Tell him not to drive too fast with it. Ha. Ha. Has he sold the Maxwell or has he got two? I suppose he took C.B. to haul gas home with. Well, I don't know of much to write about but thought I would write a few words anyway.
I have my helmet now and an automatic rifle and everything to make a soldier of me, so am ready to go after the Germans anytime. I can hear the big guns and see several air battles every day. To see an airplane overhead is just like looking at some birds over there. I am sitting in the YMCA writing so you will have to make out my letter some way for it's hard to write for it's so many writing that someone is always shaking the table all the time, so I have to watch my chance to write a word and then wait for another.
Well, when you write to Frank, tell him to write to me and tell me how he likes it; and tell him I am having a good time over here. Tell him I don't think he will ever get this far for I think we will soon finish the Germans up.
Tell all the folks hello around there, and don't forget my girl also.
Write soon. Your son, Pete
American Expeditionary Forces, APO 795
P.S. We get all the wine and beer over here, so we will be fat when we come home again. Ha. Ha.
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Wasn't that just a great letter? I have just a few comments and hope that you might let me know your thoughts.
- Grandpa does seem lonely, doesn't he, and eager to receive letters from home. He wants to hear about his brother Frank and also to assure him that Frank won't be sent as far into the conflict.
- Grandpa seems to know something about how the Allies are doing, speculating that the war will soon be over. And, of course, it was just two months later.
- Cannon Ball must have been a car that Andrew Linn owned, maybe not a very fast car from Grandpa's "ha ha".
- Grandpa still has his sense of humor, writing about Cannon Ball and the wine and beer he is drinking.
- And finally, his "girl" is most certainly Maude Olofson, his future wife and my grandmother.
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