We have the finest bunch in our tent that ever congregated.

In this interesting journal entry Grant Willard briefly describes his tent-mates...

Thursday, September 6, 1917:

The avions came and spent most of the night passing over head. Five bombs were dropped in Laheycourt, but no lives were lost. Revigny suffered again, but no lives were lost. Several people were wounded, horses killed and building ruined. Some of the fellows sat up on the hill all night and watched proceedings. I stayed in bed until Laheycourt was hit then I got up and walked around a bit to quiet my pumping heart. Gosh! those things do scare me. I don’t know that there is a more helpless feeling than lying in bed while enemy planes are buzzing away over head. It is impossible to combat these things at night except for the French to give them tit for tat and duplicate the Boche performance behind their lines and I guess they do.

It rained this P.M. and we are all hoping it continues all night to prevent avions from coming over. Cupie Sharp and I played Don Smith and Hap Ahlers at bridge and lost. Johnny Taylor and Don Smith got eats from home so we staged a party.

We have the finest bunch in our tent that ever congregated. In cot #1 sleeps Arthur Jacob, the man who can pick a fight with anybody over anything and always end up with a laugh and much amusement for his audience. He joined our crew at Rupt and is indeed a valuable addition.

#2 - Ralph Jacob, the musical, irritable youth -- the kind that “get” the women. He is mostly happy and, like his brother, a great deal of fun.

#3 - The big, good-natured kid Happy Ahlers. Happy is liked by everybody in camp because of his good nature. With his continual grin he likes nothing better than to hear others laugh.

#4 - Henry Kingman, the erratic. When Heine is feeling well he is a good mixer and much fun, but for the most part he is morose and sour and says very little. One attractive feature of Heine is his good common sense and clear head--an excellent bridge player.

#5 - Russell Stair -- Tut is the nervous, high-strung member of the gang. They say he is cool when driving a car under shell fire, but around camp he is the first in an abri when a shell or bomb chances into the neighborhood and always talks longest and loudest about them. He can hear Boche planes before they leave the hangers back of the Boche lines. He is always happy, however, and a dandy to have round.

#6 - Fred Wheeler -- Fritz holds the profound respect of everybody in camp for his cool precision. At the front he was probably the coolest man on the job. Geo. Taylor made him an excellent companion and aid. Fritz left here night before last at 1 A.M. and drove to Bar-le-Duc to meet the Chief on his return from Paris. The Boche planes were over the city when they got there and had succeeded in smashing in the main street, killing 15 horses and injuring many people and were still smashing right and left when the boys returned without the Chief (for he didn’t come on that train) they crawled quietly to bed without waking any of us. The next morning Fritz admitted that there were a few bombs dropped, but none closer than a block from them.

#7 - Don Smith -- another old reliable; quiet, good-natured and patient. He and Hap Ahlers did some wonderful work at the front and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they got Croix de Guerre.

#8 – “Cupie” Sharp -- the big, fat, happy, irresponsible child who gets in Dutch with everybody because he borrows without permit and forgets to return. He has nothing of his own and what he has he can never find. He speaks French very well having taken 9 years of it. Aside from his parasitic qualities he is a good kid.

#9 - Steward Fraser. “Fraze” is a peach. He is as generous as the day is long. Good looking New Yorker that he is. He has enough Irish blood in his veins to make him extremely quick with his tongue and as funny as a crutch. A great favorite with the fellows.

#10 - William Sloan -- Bill is married and has two children back in the States. He has seen enough military service and enough of France to make him very popular. He speaks French as well as English. He is always on the spot when something happens and has saved many of the fellows from trouble. He is the father of the camp.

#11 - Geo. Sherer -- Not a ready mixer and not a very popular kid in camp, but willing and when the rest of the gang is happy he is alright.

#12 - Philip Stackpole – “Stack” is a queer kid. A Dartmouth man and not very popular with the fellows. He pulled several stunts at the front which hurt him in the eyes of the gang. Twice when he was sent to Carrière Sud under fire he returned and reported the road impassable when other fellows got through alright.

#13 – “Jess.” [This is Grant Willard. His nickname comes from Jess Willard (1881-1968), world heavyweight boxing champion.]

#14 - Johnny Taylor – “Kid” is the youngest fellow in camp -- 18 years old tomorrow. He is my aide and I think a great deal of him. Always happy, very musical, full of the devil and very willing.

This comprises the tent. Never have we had any dissension in ranks. We are a musical crowd which keeps us in good spirit.