Le Mans, France, Dec. 1, 1918
Dear Sister: As you see Uncle Sam is letting me tour France at his expense, that is, I am about ten hours ride from Brest, where I was first located. I like here much better as we are located right in the city where there are paved streets and sidewalks, so of course I do not have the mud to contend with. The nurses’ quarters is a chateau, the furniture having been removed and the building refurnished by the United States. The building is real nice and is steam heated, has hot and cold water, bath tubs and sewage. I wish you could see the sun parlor. It sure is beautiful. The glass is hand painted with flowers and vines. The building that is used for the hospital is an old monastery that is about seven or eight centuries old. It had been used the last few years as a French hospital. It is a wonderful old building, four stories high, built of stone. I will not attempt to describe it in my letter, so will wait until I get back home to tell you about it.
I have not had a letter yet. You can’t imagine how it feels to not hear from any of you in over two months, especially since the epidemic of influenza. I hope and pray that all of you have passed through it safely.
I am on night duty this month, have a good many patients but have plenty Medical Corps boys to help me. They have been especially trained in nursing, so about all I do is supervise them.
I saw in the paper today that President Wilson is to start for France soon. He is going to come on the same ship (George Washington) that I came across on. By him selecting it you know it must be a very reliable boat.
I will close, wishing you and family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I suppose the holidays will be very dull for us over here. I haven’t any idea when I will be sent home. Write me often.
Your Sister,
Gertrude Brogan
A. N. C. Camp Hospital 52, A. P. O.
762, American E. F.
This letter was published in the Corsicana Daily Sun (Corsicana, Texas) 07 Jan 1919, Tue · Page 3
The letter was written to Mary who is married to William W Adams. They lived about 5 miles east of Corsicana in Powell, Texas.
To listen to a YouTube Video of a letter that Gertrude wrote to her sister Mary Adams, click here.
To go to the 2nd WW1 letter that Gertrude Brogan wrote home, click here
Click here to go to blog entry that has a third letter home.
The last blog entry tells about Gertrude Brogan’s funeral and burial which can found here.
