This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Reed Classification: Military Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/AQB.2ACI/166.1 Message Board Post: Plattsmouth Journal, January 9, 1919 WILLIAM REED WRITES HOME FROM FRANCE TELLS OF EXPERIENCE GOING OVER THE SEA ON THE TRANSPORT WAS GREAT. PASSED THRU ENGLAND ON WAY. Thinks France Looks Strange In Comparison to the Bigness Of America. Sunday, December 1, 1918 Dear Mother: Will write you a few lines to let you know I am well and arrived safely overseas. I got sea sick the first two days, but I wasn’t very sick; fed the fish a couple of times. We were 11 days sailing across and was on the ship 13 days. We got on at New York, November 11th, and got on this side November 24th. Our ship was not alone. There were 8 other ships that came across with us. We had lots of hiking after we got to England. We came across from New York to Liverpool and then hiked about one mile to the train, road about two days, then we got off and hiked about two miles to a camp and stayed all night. Then the next morning we hiked back to the train and went to another town and took a ship across the English channel. Then we hiked to another camp with those heavy packs on our backs. It was about three miles and they sure seemed like days and long ones too. Then we stayed there all night and the next day we took a freight train to this town where we are now. We rode! in box cars, 33 of us in one car and the cars are about half as large as the ones in the states. So you can imagine how crowded we were. We are in a camp close to a town by the name of Bordeaux. I don’t know how long we will be over here. They seem to think we won’t be here very long. I hope not anyway. They got food enough to last 10 days at this camp, so I guess we will be here 10 days anyway. We haven’t done any work yet, don’t know whether we will or not. It has rained every day since we got here. It is clear this afternoon. It isn’t very cold here. Well there is some nice looking country and nice big towns. Did you get the letter and picture I sent from Camp Upton? Well I think the war is all over with. They are sending lots of the boys home already. Well I am enjoying good health and hope you folks are all well. I won’t write to Florence I don’t suppose. So when you write to her, you tell her the news. If I don2��t write to you any more, you don’t need! to worry. Because I don’t like to write over here. Well I will close with lots of love to all. Good-bye. >From your son, WILLIAM READ [SIC]