Newspaper Article, September 15, 1917

[Newspaper Article: Quincy Daily Herald, September 15, 1917, p. 1, col. x]

We'll hang the old kaiser on the first sour apple tree we come across, although they tell me the bloomin' Germans have shot all the trees to pieces in their mad rush for the devil only knows what. Give my love to all hands.

Quincy, dear old Quincy, where the girls are pretty and brave, and where the men, at least some of them, take off their hats when the soldiers go by.

It's a long way to Germany, but we'll be there in jig time and when Quincy men arrive at the front, believe me, the kaiser will have a chance to prove the partnership he's always prating about. Lots of love and kisses for the fair ones of the Gem City. Good night.

Tell Quincy for me that the town will be on the map in big letters before the Fifth returns.

I'll never forget this fine train. Our boys are happy and comfortable and we know that Quincy knows how to send its fighting men away. Thank everybody for me.

Uncle Sam always believes a soldier with a full stomach can fight better than a soldier with an emptiness under his belt, but if we had many days like today, with the finest home-cooked grub shot at us from every home in Quincy, I think we'd all be sent to the rear for fatness.

Texas may be all they say it is, but we'll never forget Quincy and the Quincy girls, who, if they had tears to shed, were sensible about it and shed them where we fellows couldn't see them. Kisses were plentiful and some eyes we looked into were mighty dim, but they were glorious and we'll carry the memory of 'em with us always.

Talk about your bravery, believe me, the women of Quincy wouldn't wink an eye if there was an airplane raid, I do believe. I thought there would be some sob stuff, but the women were the sensible souls we always took them to be. Now you tell 'em for me and for the boys of F company that we couldn't possibly be more comfortable anywhere than we are on this train. Tell them we are happy and courageous and we'll make them all proud of us.

Second the motion to all that Captain Wingerter has said and make it strong for the folks at home that we are seeing the world just as if we were millionaires.

Cigars, cigarettes, pipes, tobacco, candy, socks, writing paper, kisses, hugs and smiles we received oceans of each and we love the people who gave them to us. Thank them all.

Don't fail to tell our Quincy folks how happy you found all the boys in the ranks. Quartered in high backed, plush cushioned seats with porters to wait on us and real sheets and pillow cases on our beds and real feathers in the mattresses and pillows. If that isn't going some, I'll eat my hat.

Tell the folks back home that as you found us today, so you will find us in Texas, France or wherever we may be should you go looking for us. We are in this thing because we want the world to be a fit place to live in and we are just as happy as we can be. When the work is done we are coming back to fall into those open arms of the dear ones at home.

There are three fellows named Watters in F company. They are not related. First Class Private Joseph W. Watters was munching on a big chunk of watermelon when we met him and he said he hoped the French would have some of the same kind on hand. Warrent Watters is a cook for F company and Brady E. Watters is a corporal. All of them want the folks to know that they are well and happy.

Sergeant Long, with a fist full of ham sandwiches and a big tin mug of black coffee, was singing "Hot Time in the Old Town," when he spied the newspaper man. He dropped the whole business in a hurry and told the reporter to take back to Quincy a lot of nice things like love and kisses and so forth. You tell the people of Quincy that solid comfort is what we are enjoying and we are willing to be[t] something better than a tin nickel that none of the kaiser's troops ever travelled like we are traveling.

When the Quincy special, consisting of fourteen Pullmans, two baggage cars and six box cars, drew into the yards at St. Louis, a train of eleven cars containing eight officers and 308 men, comprising I company and M company, had just arrived from East Alton. This in itself was a pleasure for the boys had not seen each other for a long time. J. B. Draper was in charge of this section and he, like Al Ellis, was a mighty popular fellow with the soldiers because he had put himself to no end of trouble to make their trip a happy one.