The work is hard and dirty but it’s the change from the monotonous that appeals to me most.

Convois Autos.,

S.S.U. 647,

Par B.C.M.,

France.

Thursday – Sept. 5, 1918

Dear Mother:-

At last I have received a letter from you and at last my hand is well enough so that I can write fairly intelligently again (just a slight burn which made writing difficult for a few days). Your letter is dated July 30. Why mail has been so scarce this last month is more than I can tell unless much was lost through submarine sinkings. Just four letters from the States have reached me this last month--2 from Dot, one from Cornelia Wright (Winona) and yours received yesterday. Today’s mail brought nothing.

Envied you every minute of your trip to Milnor. How well I recall our former experience in that country. I wonder if Johnnie is still up there. If not what is he doing and where is he going to college?

There’s not much to report from this end of the line. Everything is going satisfactorily. Am not quite as gleeful as I was a year ago this morning. A year ago yesterday we received our orders to move out of Verdun and a year ago this morning we were on our joyful way after a most trying month.

I am now a mechanic in 647 for awhile. I took the place of one of the boys who had never been out on a duty car and was very anxious to go on post for awhile. I, on the other hand, jumped at his job for several reasons.  1 – a good chance to learn a bit under an excellent teacher (Mechanic Risley). 2 – fifteen months of driving is enough for one dose. 3 – I have a regular home and a chance to unpack my duffle-bags and a decent place to sleep and a sure night’s rest unless something extraordinary happens. 4 – a slight increase in pay (I don’t know how much). The work is hard and dirty while it lasts but I don’t mind that a bit. It’s the change from the monotonous that appeals to me most.

Heard that S.S.U. 558 was near us a few days ago and Hap and I went down to call on them last Monday. 558, you will remember, replaced #61 last September. They are a Sewanee College ofthe South section and a fine lot of boys but most of all we wanted to see the French personel with them with whom we got so well acquainted before we left them. We found M. Langelier, our old “Marchal des Logis,” who is now acting French Lieutenant for the section. He is a peach and was as glad to see us as we were him. He took us right into officer’s mess hall, sat us down, placed a bottle of brandy in front of us, opened up a box of chocolates and a box of cigarettes and we talked and talked. Campelio, the cook, is still with them, now cooking for the officers only and very much happier now than he was with us when Lt. Moran was running the section. The book-keeper, whose name I can’t remember, is the only other Frenchman in the section who was with us up to Sept. last. They haven’t seen as much action nor suffered as many casualties as we have despite the fact that they have been on the Somme for sometime previous to their coming over here. We hope to see a good deal more of them before we separate again.

Bill Sloan made Fontaineblieu and is now working hard for a commission in French artillery. Tish Libby graduated sometime ago from the same school and is now on the front in the capacity of an “aspirant” which will probably mean a commission for him soon. Ralph Jacob and Henry Kingman are about to graduate from this same French artillery school. These boys, with the exception of Tish, are all old #61 boys, in case you don’t recognize their names. I wish I could get into that school but there is no chance now. I’m stuck for the rest of the war.

Haven’t heard from Marnie's Bill for sometime. I imagine he is still at Tours and as dissatisfied with his present job as ever.  I do wish I could meet him somewhere. I think perhaps I could improve his opinion of France a bit. Poor Bill! I want to get home as badly as he does but I’ve gotten over thinking about it all the time.

Well, it is supper time and I must quit.

With a great deal of love to everybody.

Grant.