George J. Maguolo letter to Mother - July 12, 1918
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Letter #19 July 12 1918. Dear Mother – Today I received the Graduation announcement of Yeatman from Louis. It came as a surprise to me for I had been wondering wether the people at home ever think of us. Do you realize that the last letter I received from home was written the latter part of April and reached me sometime in late May! I can hardly believe that my own family would not at least write twice a month. You cannot imagine how little it makes me feel under the present circumstances. If it were not for the many friends who write regularly I would have the blues quite often. Mail is somewhat uncertain but eventually gets here. Please write oftener and remember that mail is our only pleasure. We are at work here with the sole aim
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of some day returning home. to break that thread of hope means lost faith in this momentious enterprise and a loss of self ambition. America wrote me the middle of June from Alsace. He too, said he had not heard from you for nearly two months. It seems he is now in the Inteligence service at this Front, but does not like the work. He is about 130 kilometers south of me. I am hoping to see him sometime and believe we can arrange to go together on our leave. After six months we are allowed a seven day furlough (excluding time of travel). His first leave comes in January some time which coincides with my second leave. If possible I thought we could go to Italy and visit some of our people as some of the boys are doing. We certainly could have a nice trip together so sometime send some addresses. But at present it is six months that I have been in foreign service.
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2 which means that my first leave is due. In fact I am quite confident of going to Toulouse France where Professor Ferrand’s home and relatives are. Ray Herbert and I have an open initiation so you see there is a good time in for us. Toulouse is clear accross France from here in the [Pyrenees Mountains] near Spain. We have been looking forward to this vacation for some time, and probably I can write you from there. Have never been to Paris, where leaves are not allowed. For the past month I have been working at night, sleeping in the mornings. In some respects it appeals to me more than day work. Just now it is about as dangerous as working in a St. Louis office. I have charge of a squad of workers one of whom is Leisly Simpson. We continue doing the work taught us
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by the French of directing artillery and machine gun fire together with observation baloons & bombing planes. We have seen a good bit as you may imagine, and are well ready for a rest. Ray Herbert who has been working up at the lines for the month of June is back again. He had a generous supply of experiences. A “pill” lit in a road side Y.M.C.A. close to where he happened to be and as one of the few survivors he had undisputed right to a quantity of bar chocolate which he, Simpson and I made a feast of. You may be interested to know that I have made a booklet of 12 drawings together with specifications for “the Wireless Controled Dirigible” that once haunted my mind. These I did at the request of an officer to be submitted to the aviation dept. Should they be accepted it means a raise for me – if not – I will send home the drawings and forget it.
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the question if advance is a difficult one here. First because that class of men are more or less educated and 2nd because I know no one who could help me. The 2nd Lieutenancy I was so confident of receiving was denied me because I had graduated too recent and had not enough experience. It would have meant a splendid position of construction superintendent somewhere about Nice France. “Mais, le la guerre!” the French say. Sometime if they can get someone in my place here, probably I shall get somewhere, someday. Certainly this is a bomb proof easy position that I have now. Another work I did while here was to write and illustrate a booklet on our present work for distrubution throught the A.E.F. News reaches us of the close of the University and the graduation of only
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two girls in the Architectural Dept. One of these J. K Pelton wins the Institute and Scarab medals. (Because there was no competition). You don’t know how mad it makes Herbert & Simpson to think that so poor a designer should be given these honors without competition. - The Patron writes that he has the final design of the new architectural and Fine Arts school completed, and awaits Lesly, Herberts, and my return to detail and help him prepare working drawings; finally to superintend its construction. It must be a very big building and we look forward to a return. But in the mean time we have various dreams. One is to tour by bycicle starting in Scotland England traveling through France and Italy back by Spain. Sketching & studying as we go along. This is after the war of course. Another is to procure a Ford ambulance well battered with a few war scars, take it to the States and drive home from
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New York through the principal points of interest. There is always some discussion as to the exact route but we are certain of one thing i.e. , that we end up in good old St. Louis. Elsie Janis was here and put on a clever little show, all American. We enjoyed it very much although she had nothing but the platform of an aviation truck as a stage. When with a certain company of engineers she came in a round house on the cow catcher of a locomotive. The other day I went in town for a badly needed hair cut and was much amused with these French people. The barber seats you in a stiff arm chair, with no revolving, foot rest or reclining comforts of honest to goodness American shops. He proceeds with all the viciousness of an ex-soldier French barber to
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5. “Coupe mes Cheveux” when in walks a fair French damsel carrying a loaf of bread in the form of a large doughnut, upon her wrist as a bracelet with no wrapping whatsoever. (True French style.) She gently hung the loaf on a hat rack above the heads of a bewiskered bunch of “Poilu” and awaited her turn. The lady did not need a shave as far as I could tell and heavens knows her pretty head of hair needed no trimming. My curiosity was satisfied finally by her sitting in the barber chair next to me where an elderly women – barber proceeded to take down her hair doing strange curling and etc. with it which occupied more time than the clipper took to trim my dome! News of Sugers death has reached me some time ago and naturally I have felt broken up about it. Are you receiving the “Stars & Stripes” paper I am sending yyou.
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5. My finances now stands at 968 Francs - $169.80 and monthly expenses average 25 Francs per. Recent letters to you are dated as follows - May 12 – May 32 – June 19. I have done very little writing the past two months principally because of not having heard from you. Ray Limkinbler is now in France some 70 kilom. from me. I continue in excellent health and eat healthy. A little “Vin Konge” tastes good to me once in a while with an occasional sketch. Am making a little series which may reach you some time. Congratulations to Louis, and the best of luck to all Sincerely, [Corporal] [George] Maguolo 29th Engineers Co. H [General Headquarters] [American Expeditionary Forces]
Details
| Title | George J. Maguolo letter to Mother - July 12, 1918 |
| Creator | Maguolo, George J. |
| Source | Maguolo, George J. Letter to Mother. 12 July 1918. George J. Maguolo Papers, 1917-1945. A0969. Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | George J. Maguolo wrote a letter to his Mother on July 12, 1918 while in France. Maguolo was in the 29th Engineers Company H and served in France until 1919. In this letter Maguolo provided more insight into what his job detailed. He also wrote that he had submitted 12 drawings of his wireless controlled dirigible to an officer and had illustrated a booklet for distribution throughout the A.E.F. This letter was written on Y.M.C.A. letterhead. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918 |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | A0969 |
| Contributing Institution | Missouri History Museum |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond those allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Missouri History Museum: 314-746-4510 |
| 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. Contact the Missouri History Museum's Permissions Office at 314-746-4511 to obtain written consent. |
| Date Original | July 12, 1918 |
| Language | English |