12 November 1918
Dear Brother,16 I received your welcome letter of Sept. 17 and was glad to hear that all was well. I am well and sound as the day I left, that ain’t bad, is it? Well, we did our share, I think, out here. We would wade through awful swamps and would be wet from head to toe for almost a day at a time and think nothing of it. But I should (not) worry, I am where I always wanted to be and enjoy it. But I would sooner be in the States than in Russia. The way things look now, we may be in the States before long. I am glad to hear that things are coming along fine. I bet the place looks fine. I hope dad gets the furnace up for this winter. I suppose Leo is enjoying his work. If he has a good job he ought to stick to it. I received a letter from Henry Ruhlman. It did not take him long to get to Gettysburg, did it? If you see Alvera, tell her to send him my best regards, for if I write to him, he will be moved again. I think I will close for now as it is getting late. Best regards and good wishes to all. I remain your ever-loving brother.
PS: I did not get a chance to get my picture taken. I am trying my best to get to some photo studios, but chances are slim. Just at present and also in the past, too much work, short of men. Don’t worry about me, am safe and sound. Clem |
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15 his 23rd birthday was on Nov. 2, 1918; on Nov. 4th he had participated in the heavy fighting near Emtsa; on Nov. 11th, the Armistice was signed which ended the fighting on the Western Front between Germany and the Allies. However, this had no impact on the fighting in Russia between the Allies and the Bolsheviks, because the Communist revolutionaries had signed a separate peace treaty with Germany several month earlier. As can be inferred from his letter, the members of the 339th were aware of the impending end to the conflict with Germany and were hopeful that it would also mean the end to their fighting in North Russia, but that was not to be the case.
16 his brother, Edward J. Grobbel
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