History Lesson

I transcribed another letter last night, one that Archie wrote from Camp Dodge on Mother’s Day, May 11, 1918. What a good son he is as he writes to his mother, mentioning that “Today is what they call ‘Mother’s day' and everyone is asked to write to their mother today if they have any mother.” He said he was going to write anyway. Archie mentions Liberty Bonds and a $10,000 life insurance policy that he has made out to his mother. It seems that his unit experienced another round of inoculations. Archie says their arms were so sore that some avoided the officers so they did not have to salute. Research shows that he probably was getting vaccine for small pox, typhoid, and perhaps tetanus antitoxin and diphtheria antitoxin. This journey will certainly be a history lesson for me.