July 14, 1918
Dear Ma:-
At last
we have gotten out here to the section. Of course, we are extra men and have
not got cars as yet, but I hope to have soon. They had quite a time here during
the Austrian drive, but right now it is like a picnic. The boys want to do
front line work, but the Italians have orders that they are not to send us
too close to the lines and they cannot understand why we want to do dangerous
work. The section only has one post where they see occasional shell fire.
The others are hospitals. Consequently, it doesn't look as though I would
be able to write much home about air raids and action. The chef and sous-chef
both saw service in France and are more or less bored the same as the boys
by this work which is nothing more but evacuation work from the hospitals.
The fellows are a mighty nice bunch and so are the officers here and back where we were - at headquarters.
No mail has come yet, but they say it takes six weeks to a month to get things here. I noticed that some of the boys got magazines and small packages such as Frazer's mints in today's mail and wondered if the post office was less strict about sending packages to Italy. If magazines can go through, I wish you would send the Saturday Evening Post and any of the back numbers you can get.
Our quarters
are about the same as in France. We have two houses on a big farm where the
people still are living. They live in a part of the house attached to the
barn. Consequently, we can get our laundry and sewing done right here on the
place.
There is some fruit - pears and grapes - but they aren't ripe yet. The food is O.K., although simple, but excellent for the climate. Water to drink is scarce. Well water, which is all we get here in the plains, is full of things so it all has to be boiled.
We go around with as little on as possible for the heat is fierce. Nobody has a thermometer because it would be too discouraging if one looked at it.
The cars are Fords, but were assembled in England. They are right hand drive and rather short in front. We have been running around learning the roads, but I hope to get on a car of my own soon.
My ambulance
experience came in handy when it came to settling down. Making shelves and
places to hang things, etc., was all second nature. I also got a regular bed,
which is somewhat more comfortable than a cot, by matching some of the other
fellows for it. Everything would be fine if there was a little more action
and a place to swim. The latter we hope to find soon. The former may come
any time.
The nearest big town is Treviso. We are quite a ways from there, though, so that the censor may let that pass. It does not give our location except very generally.
It makes one sweat all over to write,, it's so hot, but I think I've told all.
Harvey
P.S. I sent some postals to the children. The ones of Venice I picked out just because I thought Haring would like them, not because we had been there. I hope to get there, though, as we are not so far, though it's quite a long ride to the city.
I hope you don't get it this hot wherever you are.
I suppose Grandpa is still going strong. What did he do on the 4th? He must have done something!