Sidney Towner Phelan letter to Val - March 31, 1918
Transcript
March 31, 1918 Dear Val, [censor’s stamp] Many congratulations, old boy! I knew you could make good against any kind of a field. You have passed the hardest part I know the actual flying will come easy to you. I envy you your opportunity. Just got a letter from Mother she is very proud of you.
Transcript
I am looking forward to meeting you and Fax. Charlie and the rest of the bunch over here won't it be great? We are still en repos I am thoroughly sick of doing nothing. We are expecting orders to move any day but, damn it, they don't come. I would give my neck to get in the big action going on. I am going to quote to you what I have sent
Transcript
in a dozen letters and it's the truest conception of war I have yet seen. "War is an exciting game it excites once in a couple of months. And the rest of it is dirt and muddle and boredom, and smashed houses and spoilt roads and muddy scenery and boredom, and the lumbering along of supplies and the lumbering back of the wounded and weary and boredom, and continual vague guessing of how it will end, and boredom and boredom and boredom and thinking of the work you were going to do and the waste of life and the waste of days and boredom, and stink everywhere, stink and dirt and boredom so send me some books and send them soon, and address them very carefully. Best of luck, squee Towner
Details
| Title | Sidney Towner Phelan letter to Val - March 31, 1918 |
| Creator | Phelan, Sidney Towner |
| Source | Phelan, Sidney Towner. Letter to Val. 31 March 1918. Sidney Towner Phelan Papers, 1899-1960. A1209. Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | Sidney Towner Phelan wrote a letter to his brother Val while serving in France. Phelan volunteered to be an ambulance driver for the French Army during WWI. He wrote numerous letters while overseas. In this letter, Phelan congratulated Val on passing his military training course. He also explained that his unit still hadn’t received orders to move. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--France |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | A1209 |
| 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 | March 31, 1918 |
| Language | English |