Letter 131 ~ January 22, 1919

I write my mother Hattie to let her know what we are doing in Nitro, West Virginia.

Addressed to Mrs. Hattie P. Griffing, Manhattan, KS

Nitro, West Virginia
January 22, 1919

Dear Folks,

I was glad to hear that [my brother] Willis got a chance to go to Kansas City. Maybe they will send him some more.

We are now having some of the best weather I ever saw. During the day it gets so warm that one is comfortable outdoors in his shirtsleeves. At night, it gets sharp and freezes a little, but the days are hard to beat except for the mud. I wish it was like this at home. How is it at home anyway? Is the snow still on enough to keep from pasturing?

Last Sunday I went to a tea party given by the Y.W.C.A. women and had a pretty nice time. I got to talking with a girl there that I had met before. I had noticed her going back and forth to work. We got so interested that I beat retreat and we sat and talked until after dark.

Monday night I was invited to a party at one of the bungalows after the picture show. Had a pretty nice time there too.

Now that the “Y” is closed, they have brot two of the pool tables up here and installed them in the barracks.

They are getting a little stricter with us now. We have to take a hike every morning now. We can’t leave the barracks until after 3:00 P.M. now.

I haven’t heard a thing about those papers that I took into the orderly room. We hear all kinds of rumors about getting discharges but I am afraid they will be slow coming because we are on duty. I imagine those at [Camp] Funston will be discharged before we will.

I was on guard Saturday and had one of the new posts. It is one where the guard has to stay on four hours without relief. Believe me, four hours in the middle of the night doing guard duty makes you think of home and mother. I don’t believe in dreams much, but I dreamed I was home the other night. Maybe it is a good sign.

Keep well and some fine morning I will be walking in on you. Goodbye, -- Ward