The Worth County Tribune published letters from local servicepeople during World War I. Here is one such letter from John Willhite.
Fort Riley (KS) Base, Hospital, Sec. I, Dec. 23rd, 1917.
Dear Delph:
Will just drop you a few lines to let you know I’m having a h___ of a time.
Doing just as I please and getting all any two ordinary men should eat.
I was transferred from Section K to Section I, or Isolation, last Wednesday. I have charge of the laundry for this section and believe we have a bunch of it. Friday, I sent out 1,170 pieces and I have 1,298 pieces checked and ready for the laundry tomorrow besides quite a “batch” that hasn’t been through the sterilizer yet.
I am living in a tent with a board floor. Half of this tent is occupied by my bed, table, foot locker, and surplus clothing; the other half is where I keep the clean laundry stored.
Cold? Well, no! I have one of the most modern stoves, in fact, it hasn’t been patented yet. I have a lantern for light and when I go to bed at night, I place the lantern inside a medium sized box and turn the open side toward my bed. I then turn the light down low. Like the parlor lamp at a “sparking party,” and I have steady heat all night. Besides that I have access to as many blankets as I want to use and taking it all combined, I have a snug little “bachelor’s home.” All that disturbs me is the pitiful wails of some of the meningitis patients when having their spine punctured.
We are having splendid winter weather here and are hoping it will last for some time.
I got a package from home the other day, containing fried chicken and rabbit. Gee, with what I get from home, what they feed us here and the candy that certain young lady friends send me, I fear that I’ll have to get some larger trousers. The blamed buttons are not sewed on any too good anyway.
I suppose the young fellows around there are busy looking after their questionnaires about now.
Delph, your page of “Letters from the boys” is the best thing a newspaper ever did, for I certainly enjoy reading them and I’m sure other people do also,
Well, I’ll light a Pall Mall now, while I think of something else.
Oh, yes, if you don’t mind, I’ll take this means of thanking my friends in Worth County for their gifts and remembrances which they have sent me, for I simply cannot find time to write each one separately, but anything I receive is fully appreciated.
Well, I guess I’ve used about enough of Uncle Sam’s paper, so I’ll close. Give my best regards to Elsye and A.M.’S folks, also to your father.
Very truly yours,
John W. Willhite
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