Letter 116 ~ December 14, 1918

Soldiers watching a football game at Camp Funston on Thanksgiving Day

I write my mother and brother that our departure from Camp Funston is imminent. This letter is abbreviated to eliminate some of the redundant material written in a letter to Minnie the same day.

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

Camp Funston
December 14, 1918

Dear Mother,

I have been sent over here to the “Y” to help answer telephone calls, run errands, etc. It doesn’t keep me very busy and so I can write in between. I attempted to call you up awhile ago but central [switchboard] said you didn’t answer so I will call again later...

Thursday afternoon we all had to go out and watch a football game in the rain. I don’t know what I would do these rainy days when we don’t drill it it wasn’t for the camp library. I have read several books lately and they are good ones too. I hope there is some kind of library where we are going but as it is only a small camp, they may not even have a “Y.” I expect guard duty will be pretty old before the winter is over.

... We have to get another shot in the arm either before we leave or shortly afterward for pneumonia.

I got me a pretty good ring but I paid more for it than I want you folks to spend on me for Xmas, so I will just call it my Xmas present from all of you and you won’t need to get me anything. This will be the strangest and I shouldn’t wonder but what it will be the loneliest Xmas I ever had. Some of the store windows show some decorations already. It doesn’t seem as tho it could be so near Xmas.

One or two of the boys’ fathers have been here trying to get discharges for their sons but they didn’t have any luck. We will just have to wait until spring anyway now,

Inspection passed off without any trouble this morning.

Harlow Hudson doesn’t know what he is talking about half the time. This division is not to be discharged and [General] Woods is still in command.

I am glad to hear that the sick folks are getting along alright and that Willis is getting the work done up so well. I hope the weather stays good now for awhile now that it has cleared off. Well goodbye and good luck, -- Ward

Footnotes:

• Ward purchased a plain gold infantryman's ring (crossed rifles on the face). He wore the ring until his son (my father) graduated from high school in 1940, at which time he gave it to him to wear in lieu of a class ring. The story goes that my father wanted to purchase a class ring but the family couldn't afford it so Ward gave him this ring instead. My father it wore it from that point forward, most of his life, until he passed it on to me and now I wear it. -- wjg

• Harlow K. Hudson lived in an adjacent farmhouse on College Hill northwest of Manhattan.

Letter 115 ~ December 14, 1918

The Camp Funston Library where Ward "made a pretty good start" reading all the books.

I tell Minnie what we've been doing at Camp Funston while waiting to be sent to West Virginia.

YMCA Letterhead
Addressed to Miss Minnie G. Frey, Stockdale, Kansas

Camp Funston
[Saturday] December 14, 1918

Dear Kid,

I have been sent over here to the “Y” & help answer the telephone & to run errands, etc. It doesn’t keep me very busy so I will try & write a little in between.

Passes are not being issued today except in cases of severe illness or death so of course I won’t get one. It seems like a long time since I have seen you now. What will it be by spring or summer or whenever I do see you? It seems too bad that you won’t be able to give a nice Xmas program as you had planned but I suppose the kids won’t mind it much if they don’t have to learn anything. I kind of hate to see Xmas coming because I am afraid my Christmas will be a little lonesome. It will be strange to say the least. Some of the store windows are already decorated I noticed last night and it sort of startled me & kind of made me homesick. We always thot a good deal of Xmas at home.

I don’t suppose you came home today or I would try & call you up this evening. I am going to get the folks if I can.

We didn’t drill Thursday & Friday but just hung around the barracks except when we all had to go to the parade ground & see a football game in the rain.

I don’t know what I would have done when we were idle if it hadn’t been for the Camp Library. There are lots of good books there & I have made a pretty good start at reading them. I have put in more time just lying around reading this week than I have ever before. Our company is on guard today but I didn’t have to. I guess we will get all the guard we want before the winter is over with.

We are going to leave tomorrow or Monday. Some of the companies of this regiment have already left. Most of the boys are wild to get out of here. They think Funston & Kansas are about two of the worst places this side of the infernal regions to hear them talk.

It looks as tho tomorrow would be a nice day. Gee, I wish I could come up & see you but it’s not what we want that makes us rich in this world. I wonder if you remember our first Xmas night together as I do? That was some time ago & lots of things have happened between & I expect lots of things will happen before we have another together too.

Well, Good Bye. Minnie, I do believe I’ll try to call the folks now. With lots of love, -- Ward

Letter 107 ~ December 4, 1918

I write my mother and brother about the possibility of my being transferred to Ft. Brady up in Michigan.

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

Camp Funston
December 4, 1918

Dear Folks,

Well, I got my four-day pass just in time because when I got back here there was an order posted to the effect that no more furloughs, four-day passes, or weekend passes would be issued until further notice. This was dated the 28th and I got my pass on the 26th. The reason given was that the railroad systems were too crowded. Someone said that the 69th Regiment were getting four-day passes again so maybe I can get a weekend pass after awhile.

I called for my mail when I got back and along with three or four letters, I got that package we thot was lost. It had been lying there in the orderly room for quite awhile, I guess. A mouse had gnawed a hole in it and the fudge was dry but it disappeared anyway.

While I was gone, the men had been issued caps and gloves so I got mine Saturday afternoon. All the caps that were left were too small so mine just sits on my head.

Lieutenant Pierpont told me something Monday afternoon after parade that I don’t know whether to believe or not, and I don’t suppose I ought to say anything about it because it is so uncertain. He said that the 20th and 41st [Regiments] were just unlucky and had been picked out to be held after the rest of the division had been discharged. He said that we couldn’t expect to be discharged for six months. He said tho that we would leave this camp within two weeks but he didn’t know where. We heard later tho that the 2nd Battalion (that’s the one I am in) was going to Ft. Brady, Michigan, up near the Canadian line for guard duty. I sure hate the idea of going that far north for the winter but maybe we won’t. We have had so many false alarms that we can’t be sure until we are on the train, but indications point toward our staying in for a time yet because the other night we had our equipment remarked and they issued some leggings, shirts, and hats to those whose clothes were nearly worn out. I got another pair of shoes.

We haven’t been paid yet but I think we will be soon. I meant to bring that letter paper up with me this time but forgot all about it. Will you put that Larkin paper in that box of notepaper of mine and send them both up?

I am sore all over today. I played in the [football] game against H Company yesterday and it was a hard game. This sure is fine weather to pasture cattle, isn’t it? I sure hope it stays this way. Goodbye, -- Ward

Letter 106 ~ December 3, 1918

A map showing all of the army camps in 1918. Note Fort Brady in Upper Michigan.

I write Minnie about a possible transfer to some other army post for guard duty. I also let her know that I get relief from drilling because I am on the football squad at Camp Funston.

Letterhead: Knights of Columbus War Activities, Camp Funston

Camp Funston
December 3, 1918

Dear Kid,

Well, I got my four-day pass just in time. When I got back there was an order posted on the bulletin board to the effect that no more four-day or weekend passes or furloughs would be issued until further notice. This was dated the 28th, two days after I got my pass. The reason given was that the railroad facilities were inadequate. I think I was lucky for once in my life at last.

During my absence, the company had been issued caps & gloves so I got mine Saturday. The only caps that were left were all too small so to keep mine on, I had to cock it over one ear & if I keep from wagging my ears, I get along very nicely.

When I got back, I went into the orderly room & got my mail & there was that package we thot was lost. It had been in there quite awhile. I don’t know why I hadn’t gotten it sooner. They probably forgot all about it. The fudge was awfully dry but that didn’t make any difference in the way it disappeared. One of the socks had a hole gnawed into it by a mouse. I also got a letter from you that you wrote November 11. No telling how long it had been in the office either. I got those pictures. They are fair but I hope that we can get some better ones. I wish I had of had my picture taken when I was down home but if I don’t get home for some time, I can have it done here. Land knows there are plenty of places on the zone where they fight for a chance to take your picture.

I heard some news yesterday. I don’t know whether to believe it or not & for that reason I don’t suppose I ought to tell you about it. But it at least gives me something to write about. We had a regimental parade yesterday & when we were halted after the parade, the Lieutenant leading my platoon said that we didn’t expect to be discharged within six months. He said that the 20th and the 41st [Infantry Regiments] were unlucky because they had been picked to remain intact for some time, probably to do guard duty at some army post. He said that the 20th would leave this camp, however, inside of two weeks. He said he didn’t know where we were going but we have heard rumors of our going to Ft. Braden [Fort Brady] up in Michigan near the Canadian line. I sure hope it isn’t any farther north than this but I am afraid it may be. My, but you can’t imagine how I dread being in here six more months. But I am not going to worry about it until we are actually moved because lots of men from this camp are going to be discharged shortly after that Divisional parade which comes off Saturday. I had had hopes of being out by Christmas but maybe I won’t now.

I am on the football squad & so I haven’t drilled any this week. We have to go out to the drill field tho, and practice out there. When we got through with football practice, we went over to where the rest of the company had unslung their equipment. There is a Swede in the company that always makes a hog of himself at the tables. Well, we unrolled his pack & put about 8 or 10 iron grenades & another piece of old iron in it. We didn’t get to see him carry it but I’ll bet if he carried that load clear in, it nearly killed him. It sure tickled me because that “ornery” Swede sat next to me at the table once & all he ate was prunes. He grabbed that prune dish & filled his plate full & the rest of us didn’t get any. I expect we will get weenies again for breakfast tomorrow. We only had them once today.

Well, be good & write often. With lots of love, Ward Clarke Griffing

Footnotes:

• “The Zone” was a shopping and entertainment mall constructed during 1917-18 for the troops stationed at Camp Funston.

An infantryman in front of "The Zone" near Camp Funston in 1918. Note the depth of the mud.