A LETTER FROM DAVID MCHARNESS - 26 Jan l9l9

MCHARNESS

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 3/14/2002 at 16:06:57

Decatur County Journal
Thursday, February 2l, l9l9

A Letter from DAVE MCHARNESS; Pont Sur Muese; January 26, l9l9:

My Dear Folks: Your very welcome letters received and I sure was so glad to get them. I am glad all are well at home. This letter leaves me quite well. I am holding up wonderfully under the circumstances. I am not cooking now, but am in the l40th Regimental Theatrical Troupe and Amusement Company. Gee, I sure do love to help the boys in that way. Just think of me as a black-faced comedian, with my face camouflaged. We will tour France and play every night when we get on the road. I am sure it will be nice for us. Don't you think so?

We had a theatrical troupe from the Iowa Division the 88th and I had the pleasure of meeting three boys from Des Moines. One of them was a cartoonist for the Des Moines Register and Tribune until he came into the army. I recognized him as one of the customers of mine when I worked at the Baltimore Dairy Lunch in Des Moines. Say maybe you think he and I didn't have a lovely visit together. He sure is a very fine fellow. I also met a Tommie from London, who went to America to enlist. He sure is a fine chap. So you see I am going to get to see Paris maybe. It will be grand to get to play in Paris. We will be ready to go by the first of February. The sooner the quicker.

I do hope I may be able to be home when CLARA graduates. I am hoping to be on U.S. soil soon. I am glad OTTO is home now and am hoping he will be there when I get home. Will you try and hold OTTO until I get there. I suppose he sure tells you some very interesting tales of doing duty in N.O. It sure was a glad surprise to me when I received his most welcome letter. I am so anxious to be at home that I don't know what to do. I have cold feet all day long. We are having real cold weather now.

Today is a blue day for me as it is Sunday, tomorrow I will be rehearsing for the show. You did not know that your son would be an actor, did you? I hope I get by with it, as I get a lot of pleasure out of it because I am able to please others. I feel highly honored to get to be an actor even if I am an amateur. We have showed twice and haven't received any bricks yet. Of course I cannot use bricks in my business.

Just think, Tuesday I will be 25 years old. I sure am getting old, am I not? It doesn't seem possible, does it? It will soon be 2 years since I was home. A very long time, too long in fact. I hope you will write often as I am always looking for a letter from home. Believe me I will be so glad when I get back to the U.S.A. so I may be able to talk to the people of whom I come in contact with. I am your loving son, DAVE.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
March l4, 2002