First World War One Letter

First World War One Letter

Year: 1917

Original hand-written letter from American World War I soldier Jack Leister, in boot camp at the American Red Cross Base Hospital No.38 at the Jefferson Medical College and Hospital Unit #38, to his mother, postmarked October 24, 1917. (This digitized mini-archive contains 7 digital photos that show the complete letter contents including the envelope, a newspaper clipping that was enclosed by the soldier, and the letter, which is written in a "brochure-like" format, depending on how the letter was originally folded, where different sections of the letter seem to be "out of place." A Transcription of the letter: Jefferson Base Hospital #38 2nd Regiment Armory Broad and Diamond Sts. Philadelphia, Pa. Wednesday night Dear mother, I didn't get a chance to write much last night, so here goes for a full explanation. We are quartered in the armory of the 2nd Regiment, and it looks like a fort or something. It covers nearly a block, and has a massive stone front like an insane asylum or a jail. I am about a two-minute walk from Joe's old boarding-house (Mrs. Jones'). Last night Leroy and I took a walk past there. Everything is very nice--that is, of course, as nice as can be expected. I sl