Letter dated October 10, 1917

Dear Nannoo-:

I wrote Mother yesterday about the good luck that had come to me. I have passed my examinations and am now to all intents and purposes a 2nd lieutenant in the American artillery that is unless they make some new law in Washington annulling the appointments made on this side of the water. Getting the commission when I could seemed the best idea taking everything carefully into consideration tho I hated more than I can ever say to put off, as it has, coming home. I wanted to do that more than anything I know and now, tho it may be soon that I see you again the chances are that it will be a long time.

The mail just arrived at the minute and there is in it a letter from you, one from Mother and an absolute confirmation of my commission from Washington by cable.

It is perfectly great of you to send me all the clippings etc. They are very interesting and I think in one of your letters there is more real news than in any other I ever get. I think that the package you sent me has arrived and although I haven’t seen it yet I want to thank you very much. I received a notice today that there was a package for me at Morgan Harjes.

The weather here is perfectly vile and we have been working rather hard so you can imagine the result. It has rained now for exactly eight days at least 2/3 of each day. Stanley and I had made sort of a little house underground and it has rained so much that there is over three inches of water on the floor and the only way to keep dry is to go to bed. However as we are only there every other day and sleep the rest of the time anywhere we may be, it isn’t as bad as it might be. The roads now too, these dark nights are the worst things you can possibly imagine. From a military standpoint they are excellent for moving things unobserved and consequently everything in the country moves. It took me three hours and a half the night before last to go four kilometers. It has gotten too dark to write any more now so I will stop and write again soon.

With love, Paul