October 24th, 1918
Title
October 24th, 1918
Subject
Letter from Frank to his mother and sister
Description
Frank wrote this letter on October 24, 1918 to his mother and sister. He wrote the letter while he was serving in France during World War I.
In the letter, Frank complains that he still has not received a letter from his mother and sister, and says he even inquired with the Red Cross to see if anything is wrong at home. Frank also mentions the YMC entertainment. The night previous they a 16 piece minstrel show and tonight they are going to be hosting 4 actors and actresses from home. He also mentions that he took a trip to place of the First Battle of the Marne. He saw the graves of French and German soldiers and passed through destroyed villages.
Frank is writing based on his experience and what he knows. He has been stationed in France for over a year and is not seeing a lot of action. When talking about the destroyed towns, Frank said he has been removed from the effects of war for a year. Throughout his letters, Frank often wonders why no one is writing to him. In this letter he even threatens to stop writing so much if he doesn’t receive a letter from his mother and sister soon. The letters seem to be something that Frank really looks forward to receiving because it is a break from the mundane. Frank also mentions the YMCA entertainment and his trip out to a battlefield – both of which brought a change of pace to his everyday life. From the document, one can infer that life as a soldier is not all that exciting. Often when learning about war, one hears about the action and the glory stories. But in reality, there is a lot of sitting around and waiting for something to happen. These letters are important because they show the reality of being a soldier. They point out that sometimes it’s boring and soldiers look forward to things like receiving letters.
In the letter, Frank complains that he still has not received a letter from his mother and sister, and says he even inquired with the Red Cross to see if anything is wrong at home. Frank also mentions the YMC entertainment. The night previous they a 16 piece minstrel show and tonight they are going to be hosting 4 actors and actresses from home. He also mentions that he took a trip to place of the First Battle of the Marne. He saw the graves of French and German soldiers and passed through destroyed villages.
Frank is writing based on his experience and what he knows. He has been stationed in France for over a year and is not seeing a lot of action. When talking about the destroyed towns, Frank said he has been removed from the effects of war for a year. Throughout his letters, Frank often wonders why no one is writing to him. In this letter he even threatens to stop writing so much if he doesn’t receive a letter from his mother and sister soon. The letters seem to be something that Frank really looks forward to receiving because it is a break from the mundane. Frank also mentions the YMCA entertainment and his trip out to a battlefield – both of which brought a change of pace to his everyday life. From the document, one can infer that life as a soldier is not all that exciting. Often when learning about war, one hears about the action and the glory stories. But in reality, there is a lot of sitting around and waiting for something to happen. These letters are important because they show the reality of being a soldier. They point out that sometimes it’s boring and soldiers look forward to things like receiving letters.
Creator
Frank Eisenberg
Source
Upper Midwest Jewish Archives, Archives and Special Collections in the University of Minnesota Archives, Box 2, File 1
Date
World War I
Language
English
Original Format
8x11 sheet of paper
Files
