With a heart full of love

Grant Willard expressed his feelings and observations with such eloquence and maturity that it's easy to forget that he was only in his mid-20s when writing them. He was a 20-something with all the needs, desires, passions and energy characteristic of that age. That included the need to blow off steam and have fun.

In these two letters home, Grant describes his leave in the south of France with some comrades. It was his third "permission" spent on the French Riviera since the fall of 1917.  What better place to have some fun? Warm sunshine and beaches. So taken with the Côte d'Azur was he that he suggests his parents should travel to France after the war.

Convois Autos.,

S.S.U. 647,

Par B.C.M.

France

Menton, France

February 5, 1919

Dear little Mother:-

Am on another permission on the Mediterranean, this time in Menton near the Italian border.  The weather is glorious and we are having a pretty good time – though not as good as in the old volunteer days.

Our trip down from Germany was most trying.  The weather was cold and disagreeable and the crowds between Mainz and Paris were terrific.  From Strasbourg to Paris (17 hours) we stood every minute of the way.  I slept to the floor of the passage way once during the night but there was quite a crowd of Alpine Chasseurs on board and they mistook me for the Alps.  There was nothing to do but to stand.  We spent one night in Paris taking the [Train] Rapid for Menton on the following evening.  The Rapid is a first class train intended only for officers and civilians but our knowing a few ropes helped us get aboard without difficulty.  We spent a comfortable night in a warm compartment but at Marseilles we were caught by American MPs and thrown off the train.  The next a.m. at 4 o’clock we were put onto a 3rd class train and reached Menton about noon of the 31st of January.  The government furnishes us with very nice hotels down here and now that we are here we are very comfortable.  For the first two days we did nothing but sleep.  Since then we have been to the border, Monte Carlo and Nice as usual.  We were in Nice yesterday and had an excellent time.  Many nice people whom we met down here a year and a half ago are still down here and they remembered us in spite of the change of uniform.  We danced and played around the Riviera in general and were well received in spite of our uniforms.

Now we are resting and trying to nerve up to the return trip

(Interruption – dinner call)

I am now in the writing room of the YMCA – they have grabbed the best buildings all along the Riviera (Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo and Menton) and are doing everything possible for the American soldier.  The YMCA here in Menton was the old Gambling Casino.  It is lavish in decorations, theaters, dancing floors, pool and billiard rooms, etc.  I am writing you from one of the old roulette rooms which is now being used for a reading and writing room.

I inquired around in Marseilles for Bill [Grant's future brother-in-law, William R. Everett (1891-1943)], but couldn’t seem to get on his trail.  Where is he?  I haven’t heard from him since the Armistice.  Am under the impression he must be on his way back or is he going to be held for reconstruction work?  I hope not for Marion’s sake.  Though I tell you frankly that if there wasn’t so much drawing me back home I think I should look around for a good army job to keep me over here a year or so longer.  I haven’t seen half enough of this country yet.  While in Nice the other day we met people from Roumania, Constantinople, St. Petersburg and a retired American admiral (Admiral Day) who had traveled all over.  When we were down here before we met a family from Florence, Italy.  Just listening to these people talk has made me want to travel more.  They know so much more than we Americans who stay in America all our lives.

Willard home in Mankato

But I’m not going to stay over here this trip.  I’m going to aim toward another visit sometime later on.  I wish you would make Dad bring you over here, Mother.  Why have you never come?  It hasn’t been beyond Dad’s power financially certainly because it isn’t an expensive place to spend a summer.  Nowhere near as expensive as in some American summer resort.  Tourists are quite apt to be asked exorbitant prices but one need not pay exorbitant prices.  I think I could conduct a very cheap party over the most interesting parts of France and we could have load of fun.  You and Dad would grow 20 years younger if you would make the trip.  Now it is dinner time and I must quit.

No more rumors about coming home except that it might be most any day, now.  Hope to stop over in Paris on our way back to Germany.

Heaps of love,

Grant.

* * *

Convois Autos.,

S.S.U. 647,

Par B.C.M.

France

Paris – 2/11/19/

Dear Family:-

On our way back from permission.  I wrote you last from Menton on the Mediterranean.  Hope that letter reaches you O.K. because it contains a report of the best part of our leave.  It hasn’t been very satisfactory because traveling conditions have been so poor.  From Menton we took a 3rd class permissionaires' train to Dijon.  From Marseilles on it grew rapidly colder.  The train was now heated.  The cold combined with the hard wooden benches of the 3rd class car made sleeping and comfort impossible.  We were 20 hours on this train.  At Dijon we had to wait 10 hours for our Paris train.  There was not a room in the town to be had so we spent our time in the Red Cross canteen drinking hot coffee and trying to be comfortable.  Our Paris train pulled in at 3 a.m. jammed to the doors with passengers.  We forced our way aboard and stood up for the next 6 hours.  Fortunately our train was a rapid so we reached Paris about on schedule.  But you can imagine that we were pretty well played out and resolved never to take another permission.  After some debating and argument we were allowed to stay in Paris for two days to get rested up for the last leg of our journey.  Paris is crowded and rooms are scarce. Through the kindness of Mr. [Henry] Sleeper of the American Field Service we were able to find beds and have been very comfortable here.  We went to bed at noon of the 9th and never stirred until the noon of the 10th.  I’ll take 2 months at the front in preference to another permission.  Have been too tired to see about getting my baggage over to the Am Express Co.  Our headquarters promises that time will be given all old sections later in which to straighten up all baggage questions.  We were told that our section will be called in within a month and be sent back to the States.  However, General Foch’s recent report to the war council may have some effect on our demobilization.  I should be very much surprised if it didn’t.  Germany is not whipped.  Additional force is necessary.  This does not necessarily mean more fighting, in my estimation, but armies and supplies are going to be essential.  

So you see our job over here is not yet completed and until it is we shall continue to plug away doing our menial share and trying to keep happy.

With a heart full of love,

Grant.