Letters to Uncle Will and Aunt Ida - March 25, 1918

           Fort Slocum

March 25, 1918

Dear Uncle Will

The check came O.K. and it came in handy. I bought me a gun razor and brush and spent some of the balance but have some left. We get paid one week from Wed.

I rec’d a letter from Aunt Ida and one from Ma yesterday it seems good to get letters.   Ida May writes nearly every week and I have seen her good many times since I came down here.

Yesterday (Sunday) I went over to Pelham the Naval recruiting station and as I was walking around I heard a fellow call "Hello! Tip" and there was a young fellow from Montpelier by the name of White.  I was surprised he came down Sat. sent by Mitchel [?]. It is quite a place over there a very large camp and they are making it 3 times as large. Another fellow and I walked over and rode back in an auto, it is about 4 miles over there.

The weather here is very comfortable down here now and I like it much better than during the cold weather. Last week I thought I was going and as a lot of the Gun Squad was called out and the most of them are National Guard men. The squad is very small now and we have to Guard twice a week but they are breaking in new men and then it will be better.

I don’t mind the Guards half as much as I did at first.  It is all in getting used to it. I am on see patrol tonight.   That is walking around the island and keep watch that no one lands on the island from small boats. My first guard begins at ten and ends at 12. My second at 4 and ends at 6 that is all, as the other sentinals can attend to that in the day time.

Now about coming home.  You see after pay day everyone has money and then they all apply for 5 day passes and fellow has to be lucky to get one but along in the middle or last of the month they get broke and then they can not go so I thought I would come home about the 12th or 15th of April. Perhaps I can get a little longer time as I live so far away.

I am going to write a letter to Aunt Ida tonight and tell her when I intend to come home. So will bring this to a close.

Hoping this finds you O.K. I remain With Love.

Ervin

Remember me to all the boys and girls.

I can not transfer from the National Guard into the regular Army so my changes of getting into the tank service are gone.

Fort Slocum

           March 25th 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter came O.K.a and was glad to here from you as I was afraid you wouldn’t get my letter.

Now I intend to come home about the 12th or 15th of April.  The first of the month every [one] trys to get home and if one is lucky they might get their pass but I thought it would be better wait the middle of the month.

What are you doing there in Boston buying an auto or just looking over the place?   I would like to be there a few days and see some of my friends down in Lynn.

We are having fine weather here now and it is not bad doing Guard Duty.  I am on see patrol tonight 4 hours in all 10 to 12 and 4 to 6 that is not bad.

I wrote Uncle Will a letter and told him all the news and I suppose he is having the time of his life while you are away I wish I was there with him as we need to stick together and go to the movies and take in everything that was going on.

There seems to be a large fire raging over in New York about ¼ of a mile away and the wind is very strong so I expected it is going to be some fire.

Let me know when you expect to go home so I can write you a letter before you go.

Remember me to all the folks there in Boston and tell Archie he can send me some ice cream.  Like the fellow that came here from Porta Rico and sent home some   ?  in a letter.

Hoping this finds you O. K.

I remain With Love to All

    Ervin

March 25, 1918 Notes

Lynn:  Ervin played baseball in Lynn, MA.

Fire:  According to newspapers of the time, there was an explosion and fire on the docks of Hobokon, NJ on this night.  People in NYC went to their roofs to watch it.