It’s a “pippin,” Mother.

By February 1918, Private Grant Willard's ambulance unit was working from Base Hospital 66 in Neufchâteau, France--an ancient town overlooking a valley at the confluence of the Meuse and Mouzon in southwest Lorraine. The inhabitants are called Néocastriens. From this small town Grant wrote to his mother to reveal the contents of several care packages.

S.S.U. 647,

Par B.C.M.,

France.

Feb. 23, 1918

Dear Mother:-

A slight reorganization has taken place in our midst due to a little argument with the censor. We are now permitted to write but one letter a day confining our thoughts to a two page space on one side only. So you see I shall have to write oftener and you will have to be content with far less information than I have given in former letters.

I received your orders to remain silent until I could acknowledge some packages from you. I am obeying those orders explicitly. I now have the pleasure of informing you that on Feb. 7 I received from Miss Mullen three big packages – two from you and one from [Aunt] Beatrice [Willard]. Yours contained underwear (2 suits), socks, wristlets, sweater and gloves. The one from Beatrice contained a wonderful cake in excellence condition, gloves and a camphor stick. You bet they were welcome. Miss Mullen made coffee to go with the cake and while and she and Tish Libby ate and drank I opened packages and tried on their contents. The sweater has hardly been off since. It’s a “pippin,” Mother. Did you make it yourself? A perfect fit! Thanks a lot for the whole outfit. It was very much needed. As near as I can figure out I am still one package shy – the one containing Dad’s maple sugar candy. That will probably come out as soon as I can get word into Miss Mullen as to how to send them.

Other packages which I have received recently are: (1) A Xmas box of eats and smokes from Zella Duritt, Isabelle Phelps and Cleo McLean who are teaching in Sauk Center. (2) Two excellent books from Dot: [Henry] Van Dykes’ Fighting for Peace and a collection of Alfred Noyes’s latest. (3) A box of chocolates from Alice Farr. (4) Carry On from Mrs. Parry. (5) A box of stuffed dates from Bernice Morrow. I hope the letters which I have sent to all of these people will arrive safely.

Wish I could tell you about our whereabouts and work but I can’t so we will dismiss the subject after saying that we are well and are finding enough to do to keep us out of trouble. The food is good as are the quarters. Will write again soon.

Much love,

Grant.