November 1st, 1918
Title
November 1st, 1918
Subject
Letter from Frank to his mother and sister
Description
Frank wrote this letter on November 1, 1918. He wrote the letter to his mother and sister while he was serving in France during World War I.
He starts out the letter by again wondering why his mother and sister hadn’t written. He had gotten letters from two different people that had said everything at home was fine and didn’t understand why they were not responding. So he said he was going to stop writing so they can “think the matter over.” Then later says that if he does not receive a letter by November 11th, he will stop writing until the New Year. He goes on to say that he and the other soldiers think that the war won’t last for more than a few months longer and that there is a rumor that Turkey has surrendered. Frank also mentions his cold and the weather. Again he mentions the YMCA entertainment. They hosted the Orpheum Circuit, and had a waffle party – the men were so excited to have waffles, they waited in line until after 11 just to taste them again. He said they were going to have a basketball game.
The letter is written based on what Frank is feeling and experiencing while serving over in France. He spent a lot of space in this letter talking about the fact that neither his mother nor sister is writing to him. He seems to be trying to make them feel guilt, saying “I am sending you a little reminder that I am still here tho I am there to you.” It is like he feels forgotten – like he thinks his family has moved on and adjusted to life without him in it. The document also focuses a lot on the YMCA events. They seem to be something that all the soldiers really enjoy – particularly the waffle party, because the waffles weren’t something the soldiers got to eat. This letter shows how the little things mean so much to these soldiers. One wouldn’t think that eating waffles or playing a basketball game would necessarily be significant, but these men are far away from home and deprived of many of the things that one would normally take for granted.
He starts out the letter by again wondering why his mother and sister hadn’t written. He had gotten letters from two different people that had said everything at home was fine and didn’t understand why they were not responding. So he said he was going to stop writing so they can “think the matter over.” Then later says that if he does not receive a letter by November 11th, he will stop writing until the New Year. He goes on to say that he and the other soldiers think that the war won’t last for more than a few months longer and that there is a rumor that Turkey has surrendered. Frank also mentions his cold and the weather. Again he mentions the YMCA entertainment. They hosted the Orpheum Circuit, and had a waffle party – the men were so excited to have waffles, they waited in line until after 11 just to taste them again. He said they were going to have a basketball game.
The letter is written based on what Frank is feeling and experiencing while serving over in France. He spent a lot of space in this letter talking about the fact that neither his mother nor sister is writing to him. He seems to be trying to make them feel guilt, saying “I am sending you a little reminder that I am still here tho I am there to you.” It is like he feels forgotten – like he thinks his family has moved on and adjusted to life without him in it. The document also focuses a lot on the YMCA events. They seem to be something that all the soldiers really enjoy – particularly the waffle party, because the waffles weren’t something the soldiers got to eat. This letter shows how the little things mean so much to these soldiers. One wouldn’t think that eating waffles or playing a basketball game would necessarily be significant, but these men are far away from home and deprived of many of the things that one would normally take for granted.
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
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