James Robert Davis letter to Mother - September 1, 1918
Transcript
[September] 1 Dear Mother & Others Sunday and nothing regular to do - so will try to answer a few of your questions as Itold you before about all we do is work - in such a craming manner. That it is very unsatisfactory to every one concerned. students and instructors cannot do themselves justice This course used to be 3 to 6 months. then it was cut to one month and now we are to have it in creased to six weeks. I will try and give you and out line of one days work. get up 5.30 Roll call - (dress in 10 minutes) and setting up exercises. Breakfast at 6 - seven start for drill grounds - drill until 9. (9.30 - 10.20 ( 10.30 - 1130) (1130 - 12) (1-150) (2-250) (3-4.50] lectures in airdome. That means out in the woods. 5.30 Retreat. 6 - supper - Then study if we can until - 10\00. guess thats a fairly full day isn’t it. sleep in a long shed - 90 in the building - on [ms illegible: 1wd] canvass cots - about the same as the one Wayne used on the back porch. Have a mattress pillows and blankets - cots about 2 ft a part. The one great luxury we have are our shower baths.
Transcript
for tables we use our lockers. guess that gives you a very good idea of our routine - tell Wayne Icould teach him some exercises that if he made those kid take them would make them use every muscle in their bodies and about a dozen muscles that were never intended to be used. Well its a gay life if you dont weaken. Have some very nice friends, mighty good fellows and of course a gang you dont care for. But that doesnt make any great difference. As for liking it well Iwouldnt pick any if the thing stopped to night and they would turn us out to morrow. But it doesnt make any great difference one way or the other. as long as we are at war - we had just as well like it for it doesnt do any particular good not to like it. As for medicine or practicing we may never see a sick man as long as we are in the army. They are trying to
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make officers out of us and that means that we may be put any place that they need an officer. Iknow of one Doctor who is building roads an other is drawing maps. an other is in charge of auto repairing an other is mess officer and so on. It may mean most any thing except medicine guess thats enough to confuse you as to what a medical man in the army may do. Tell Ethel Igot her check and thank her - Ill find a place for it alright. she neednt worry about that. Dont worry so much about me. I like to know that you think of me but Idont want you to worry because things arent different. They arent and cant be so thats all there is to it. and we’ll let it go at that. glad Wayne is going to be married and hope they will be happy and have many to short years together. Lots of people have long years together but Idont wish him
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such luck. Ihope Ican get home to see amy and the kids but as long as we can get only 24 hour passes there isnt much chance of a visit. guess I’d better go mail this and Ihope that you get it monday. Love to every body. Jim Dont forget Co 39. An address M.O.T.C.
Details
| Title | James Robert Davis letter to Mother - September 1, 1918 |
| Creator | Davis, James Robert |
| Source | Davis, James Robert. Letter to Mother. 01 September 1918. James Robert Davis Collection, 1918-1919. 1994.41. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Description | James Robert Davis wrote this letter to his mother on September 1, 1918. Davis was enrolled at a medical officers training camp at Fort Riley, Kansas and described his daily camp life. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States; Fort Riley (Kan.); United States. Army. Medical Officers' Training Camp |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | 1994.41 |
| Contributing Institution | National World War I Museum and Memorial |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the National World War I Museum and Memorial: (816) 888-8100. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | September 1, 1918 |
| Language | English |