Sidney D. Light's WWI Diary, Postcards & Letters, 329th Battery Book Accounts

My dear Alberta,

Your welcome letter of November 5th was received tonight and I don’t know when mail has been so welcomed before. You see we haven’t received any mail for three weeks and I had almost given up hopes of receiving any more. Through some mixup the central Record’s Office was never notified of our regiments being locate here until recently, so I presume this is the cause of the delay....

....I was invited last week by one of the Italian officers (1st lieutenant) to have my picture taken, so I went down one afternoon to his room to have it taken. I took my gas mask, steel helmet and sidearms along and posed for him but the light wasn’t just right and the pictures were dark, so I’ll have to go down again. I’ll send you one when they are finished.

Well, we don’t know what is in store for us now. We are drawing a big bunch of horses, harness, and all other equipment that we lost in action so I presume we will join the army of occupation and go up into Germany. Most of the fellows are downhearted and can’t see why we have to go and why we can’t go home now that the war is over, but yours truly isn’t the pessimist that he used to be. Lately I look for the worst, pray for the best and take what comes good naturedly....

.....I must confess, that I am beginning to get a bit homesick myself and am forever planning on what I am going to do when I get back. Unless something unforeseen happens, I believe I will go back to work for dad as he is getting well along in years and needs my assistance. I worked for him nearly six years previous to coming to Detroit.

I received some very sad news from my brother {Harvey} recently and am all broken up about it. His dear little wife died during an operation recently and left him with two little children and he is nearly out of his mind with worry. He is two years my senior and has had more than his share of hard luck since he was married. His wife was an old schoolmate of mine and was in my class in high school.

I notice that your letter #13 corresponds with the number of weeks since I left the states and that it seems months to you. Well, believe me it seems like years to me but better days are coming and I hope to be back by spring. Some of the boys are planning on being home by Xmas but I’m not so optimistic.

The war wasn’t over with evidently at the time you wrote this letter so you likely have seem some excitement since then. According to letters received by the other boys written since the 11th there was a high time in Detroit on that day.....

.......About the time you were having such a good time Halloween night we were pitching our shelter tents in a woods up behind the lines and oh! how it did rain. We all were soaking wet and covered with mud. I’ll tell you more about it when I get back. I am looking forward to having about a week furlough at Xmas time to visit my sister and brother over here and also taking in the white lights of gay Paris. Of course, I don’t know whether it is at all possible but something seems to tell me that I’m going to get it.

This stationary is the only paper we have so please forgive me for using it. If I get to Paris I’ll get something better. I also notice that I have not followed the lines in several places, but the light is so poor, and (perhaps the wine is so strong) that I hope you will overlook it....

.....You say that Miss Flynn has enlisted as a U.S.A. nurse and that you wish you could too. Well, I’m glad it’s all over so you can’t. Now, isn’t that mean of me. No, I don’t think it is as I believe we are all glad it’s over with, especially the Germans. That last day up to 11 o’clock was the grandest piece of Hun murdering that they ever witnessed I guess, and up where we were they were only too glad to give up and gave our boys anything they wanted.

I expect to take a walk over toward Metz Sunday if there isn’t anything special doing to see if I can’t find a German officer’s helmet to send to you. I have had several German soldiers helmets but they are so awfully heavy and large that they are a mean thing to handle at the Post Office and they don’t like to take them. However, if I can’t get an officer’s helmet I’ll try to send you one of the big ones.

I’m wearing a German belt that belonged to a soldier in the Crown prince’s army. It has on the buckle "Gott mit uns" which means God is with us. Also a Hun soldier’s cap and various buttons that I received from different Allied soldiers and prisoners returning from Metz.

The civilian population have not returned to Pont a Mousson yet and as the English troops and part of the colored infantry have left we (our brigade) are about the only ones left here. Our brigade consists of the 328th and 329th and 330th F.A. and the 310 French Mortar Battery that Frank Martin belongs to. The French Mortar Battery was at Domjermain the day we left for the lines and I went in to bid Frank goodbye. I found him sick in bed and sat down and visited him awhile but couldn’t stay long. I haven’t seen him since I’ve been here and am wondering if he could have been sent to the hospital. He may be here and I not have seen him as I haven’t inquired. They are located at the other end of the town.

We played a game of soccer ball with Btry C 327th F.A. last Sunday and were beaten by a score of 1 to 0. Gee, it was an exciting game and we have a return match with them for Saturday afternoon. The weather here is wonderful. Cool nights but beautiful all day long. I haven’t worn my blouse or gloves over twice since we came up into this part of the country.

How is Bud and the rest of the family.? Hope they are all well and happy. I never felt better in my life, only I am a bit homesick for dear old U.S.A., Detroit and Highland Park.

Hope you have a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.....