you that I am going home on leave Saturday
and you can bet I am going this time sick or no sick because from all
the rumors a round the camp we might be leaveing for across the pond any
day now specially with the rifles comeing and that makes it look like we
would soon be on our way and if I didn't see Florrie and little Al
before I left it would probably be the last time I would see them
because something tells me Al that if I go over there I won't never come
back.

Your pal, JACK.

CAMP GRANT, Oct. 26.

_FRIEND AL:_ Well don't be surprised if you read in the paper any
A.M. where our regt. has been ordered to France but of course I
don't suppose they would come out in the paper with it because General
Pershing don't want it to get out what regts. is over there and probably
you won't hear nothing about it when we do go because they won't be no
chance for me to write to you and if you don't hear from me for a long
while you will know we have gone and the next time you hear from me will
be from over there. I got the dope tonight from Red Sampson and he heard
it from one of the men that was on guard yesterday and this man heard
the Col. telling Capt. Gould of Co. B that General Pershing had sent for
the best looking regt. out here and Gen. Barry had recommended our regt.
and from what Red says we will probably go in a week or so and he don't
know if we are going by the way of the Atlantic or the Pacific but all
as I hope is that we get there before the war is over.

I am certainly glad now that I arranged for leave this wk. end because
it will give me a chance to fix my affairs up before I go and if
anything should happen to me they wouldn't be no trouble for Florrie
about property and etc. I certainly wish I had enough so as I could
leave you and Bertha something to help you along old pal and maybe if
they had give me more time I could of fixed things up but all as I can
leave you now is my friendship and remember that if anything happens I
was your old pal and you boys that stays home is the ones we are laying
down our life for and if it wasn't for men like we where would you be at
Al and your familys?

Well Al I am proud of my squad the way they took the news and we was the
only ones that knew about it and yet they wasn't a man in my command
that didn't act like he was tickled to death and thats the right kind of
a spirit and I spoke about it to Red Sampson. I said "I am proud of all
of you because instead