Postmarked August 1, 1918, Camp Dodge, Iowa

Wednesday Eve. Nine Fifteen
Dear Folks:
I have rather been lax in my letters to you this week but have been so busy every minute almost that I took but a few of them and wrote to Deva and fully intended to write to you also.

We are leaving Saturday for the East I think. We are fairly certain of going at that time and there is rather a well defined opinion that we are leaving Friday of this week. Anyway, we are all ready to go and I am glad to be on the move although it means that I am getting a few miles away from home. But it is all in a lifetime and all the men here are anxious to get out and away.

We will probably be at the point of embarkation for a few weeks as we will have equipment to draw there and to wait on transportation. Now I will use every opportunity to keep in touch with you and to let you know where I am but if you fail to hear from me for even two weeks do not worry a moment and rest assured that I am all right but have not had the opportunity or chance to write. I won't get any mail from you I suppose until I can give you my address but you might send your letters to my address here at Camp Dodge until you hear from me giving you my address as they will be forwarded to me undoubtedly.

You need not worry a minute over me. My physical condition is excellent and I am not in any danger here and very little across as far as I can learn. We will have a very pleasant trip across and I hope we are in England for a few weeks or months and that I have an opportunity to get out.

Tomorrow I am going to make an allotment of most of my pay and you can apply it on my note at the bank. It may be late in reaching you the first month it is to come but it will get there all right and will come every month. I think it will amount to about twenty five dollars a month as we get only a very few dollars after we get across because the Allied armies are very poorly paid and the U.S. army holds out our pay as it will not create dissatisfaction.

You should receive my insurance papers also some time. They will be sent to you by mail. Beard has my Phoenix Ins. Co. policy and it can stay there in the safe all right and it will be safe there.

I hope I can get in town tomorrow evening and am going to ask the Captain if I may go. They are very strict now about leaving as it is so near the time we are leaving.

Lila was out today and brought the little Eastman Pocket Kodak that Deva sent me. It is surely a peach and I have wanted one so long. I am mighty pleased over receiving it. I am going to put it in my clarinet case and take it over with me that way. I don't know that there is an order against taking one and I have wanted to take one.

Will close as it is almost time for the "Y" to close. We have been playing a concert and got through a few moments ago.

I will write tomorrow.

Grant
Keep your letters coming to my address here and have your return address.

August 12, 1918 Postmarked Hempstead, New York

Monday Eve. Seven o'clock

Believe I agreed to write again this evening and since I had your letter of August 8th addressed to me at Camp Dodge, I'll write some more.

There are a good many rumors around the camp as to when we are leaving but none of them are authentic or official and I have ceased to place any credence in any of them. However, I feel pretty sure that we are to go soon. I rather think that we will embark from another camp near here but of course I do not know.

We have been receiving issued clothes and things this afternoon and it has kept us right here at the camp. Cliff and I aren't going to ask the Captain for a leave this evening. It would do no good as they will be issuing things up until about ten o'clock. Bess and Cliff's wife will be waiting over at the Hostess House for us but I fear they wait in vain tonight. We haven't any chance to telephone them either but if we get through before ten o'clock I think we will try and go over.

By this time you should have had at least three letters and especially all of those that were written while we were on board the train and headed toward the camp. I think you should have a letter or two from me that were mailed from the camp also.

Am getting along in great shape. Never felt better in all my life and am telling the truth about it. Have good bunks and get plenty of good sleep every night.

One of the things that was issued today was what is called an Emergency Ration. It consists of four boxes of Hard Tack and a can of Corned Beef. The can of corned beef is about four by five by three. The five packages are pretty heavy and bulky too. I was also issued an overcoat.

Had a letter from Deva today. It was written about the same time that yours was and reached here in the same mail.

It tried to rain this afternoon and did a little but is almost clear now. The air-planes are out in full force this evening. It is quite a show to watch them.

Hope Harry Helzel is going to stick.

Have had three inspections today. We are called out every once in a while for one.
Grant

Wednesday Evening

Dear Folks:
It is almost too dark to write. Well I found a candle. I never thought I would ever write a letter by candle light but have done so several times now and this is the last letter I will have the opportunity of writing is this camp.

We are leaving for Camp Merritt, New Jersey in the morning and very soon will be on the water on our way to France.

I talked to a man that is in Don's division and the 159th is on it's way to France and so I will have no chance to look Don up until I get over on the other side and then it will be just an accident if I get to see him.

I am surely glad that we are on the move. I know you are going to worry but you may rest assured that I will take the best care possible of myself physically and morally and I will return in possession of my self respect and able to look my mother and my sweetheart in the face - of that you may rest assured.

I am starting to France with $2.65 - no three sixty-five - now what do you think of that? Clifford Clark and I have eight eighty five between us ($8.85). We will be on the boat about fourteen days I think and in the event we fail to get our pay for a month Grant is going to be in pretty close circumstances so I am going to ask one last request and it will be the last one along this line. Do you think you could send me ten dollars? Now if you can't I don't want you to try but I will surely appreciate it to the uttermost. If you can do so don't send a draft or cash but go into Dey Middlesworth's and get what is called a travelers check. They are issued in denominations of ten dollars - one of them will be enough. Dey will know what I mean. They can be cashed anywhere and they don't seem to want us to take American money over with us.

All the company has changed their money into French money. Cliff and I have 50 Francs - a Franc is equal to seventeen or twenty cents and the fifty francs amount to eight eighty five. I should be there to sign the travelers check but I can sign it when it reaches me which no doubt will take a month at least as the mails will be slow over there until we are well located but it will reach me all right and I know it won't reach me in time at Camp Merritt as we will be there but a short time.

I have taken up a lot of time and space asking for the ten dollars. If it doesn't reach me in time I can borrow from some of the boys but I rather hesitate to do that. I will be very grateful for the raise.

I will make out my allotment just as soon as I find out how much we draw when across, and all that is left I will allot to either you or Dad and you can pay it on my note. Don't forget that it is a travelers check and not a draft or bill.

I will get to write again before we go I think as we will be at Camp Merritt at least a day.

You can address me as you had Don's -
Musician Grant L. Hayes
351st Inf. Band, H.D. Co.
A.E.F. % Postmaster
New York City
and be sure and have your return address on it.

Now you will get a card soon after we are across telling you that I have arrived safely and don't get worried if you don't hear from me for a month as I will be all right and if anything is wrong the Government will be sure to notify you.
Grant

Atlantic Ocean

Dear Folks:
You will no doubt be quite surprised when I tell you this. My fingers are so numb with cold that I can hardly write. I know how hot it must be there at home but it is cold enough here to have our coats and heavy overcoats on. It has been misting a little most of the morning and it is a cold mist too.

When this is mailed I will have landed somewhere as it will be mailed at the place we land. We are yet some three days from landing at least. I think we are but where we are going I haven't the slightest idea except that it won't be directly to France. We might land eventually in Russia, France, Belgium Italy, or anywhere.

Have enjoyed the trip very much and the sight of water everywhere hasn't grown as tiresome as I had anticipated. We have much to occupy our time with (censored), chess games, boxing, reading and last, but really the most enjoyable of all - smoking. I bought a cob pipe for a thin dime and a can of Tuxedo and manage to enjoy it all. Was a trifle sea sick for the second, third and fourth days out but we have had a quiet sea and I feel fine this morning. Some of the men on the boat are quite sick. Sweet stuff seems to have a tendency to make one sick while pickles, cheese and lemons seem to hit the very spot.

(censored) personally feel that we are in little danger - or at least no one seems to worry at all. The men seem a happy contented lot and I guess it is best that way.

I would like very much to land in England and stay there a few weeks and then I can't wait to go down to Italy - but who knows where we will land.

We sleep in hammocks and they are far more comfortable than I had supposed they would be. I go to be about seven thirty or eight and we are up about five thirty. We get cheated out of a half hour of sleep each morning because we have to turn up our watches a half hour each morning. I think we turn our watches on about eight hours on the whole trip. I never thought in years that I would ever get to take a European trip as Aunt Kate says.

Our mail is all censored now. After we get off the boat and into camp our mail goes free but I have to use stamps during the time we are on the boat because I want this letter to reach you as soon as possible and this way it will reach you a week earlier.

Think I will close now as we can mail these letters only between eleven and twelve each morning.

Now don't worry too much over me. I feel fine and will get along in great shape. It is for you folks to take the best care possible that you may not cause me untold worry and grief by your getting sick as you know I am several hours and miles away with very little chance of getting back until we have cleaned up over here.
Love,
Grant

Grant L. Hayes
351st Infantry Band
Headquarters G
American Ex. Forces
via New York, N.Y.
Be sure and write out the American as A.E.F. also stands for Australian.
Will write as soon as possible.

September 10, 1918

Dear Folks:
Have landed and it surely feels fine to get on dry land again. Would like to tell you where I am but it is impossible.

Am feeling fine, in the best of health, so don't worry a moment over me. Will write later.
Grant

September 12, 1918 Somewhere in England

Somewhere in England - Postmarked Bullswater Camp - Woking (Southwest of London)
Dear Folks:
Clark and I just purchased this stationary for nine Pence so you can readily see that I am in the land of my ancestors and it may be that it will be possible for me to see the home where Grandfather Hayes was born and where no doubt we have several relatives. I hope so and I should like to see the little town and where he lived.

The part of England that we have seen is very beautiful. I haven't see a frame house - all of red brick and very artistic and apparently very prosperous people live in them. One sees absolutely no waste ground. I have seen but one garden that compares with these acres upon acres of them and that is old man Walter's garden. Tomatoes etc. are just now ripe - in fact garden stuff of all sorts seems abundant.

One sees but few houses standing alone. They are built mostly in long rows and right together - with no front yard but the back yard is either full of flowers and gardens or gardens alone. The flowers are almost as abundant and pretty as those of California - a great many of them I have never seen before.

The weather has been ideal today - partly cloudy and not too warm. It was rather sharp this morning for a little while. Imagine it is warmer at home though now than it is here.

We are having no difficulty in the money system but I miss Luce's and Dey Middlesworth's to stop in for cigars. Smoke a cob pipe now and enjoy it to the uttermost.

The roads are all paved over here and even the smallest hamlet or town has its paved streets. I was very much surprised at England and was utterly unprepared for it as I saw it. It looks as peaceful as our own America. The papers of course are full of war news.

Was a little tired when I got in last night, but expected that because we have covered several thousand miles since I left Camp (censored). Had a good sleep and feel just as new as ever this afternoon.

Had all the ocean that I wanted too and I think we were all glad to get off the boat. The last two or three days we had a fine misty rain that we didn't particularly enjoy.

You should have the card telling you of my safe arrival by tomorrow I think.

Don't know how long it takes for a letter to reach you but hope we have some mail tomorrow or next day as I should have had some about the time I left Camp (censored).

Don is probably around here somewhere but of course it is next to impossible to locate him and then again I have forgotten his Regiment and Company.

Am writing this with a little pencil about an inch long, and it doesn't go so very good.

Our mail goes free now and all the postage it needs is my name and address if in the left hand corner of the envelope.

It is two-twenty here now and your time at home is about six hours earlier or eight o'clock. We were eating dinner about the time you were thinking about getting up.

The trains here are very peculiar but very efficient. The engines are small but I understand they can go 82 miles an hour. The road bed is fine and the train men polite. It is a splendid system. The train is divided into compartments, each compartment seating eight men very comfortably. I enjoyed the ride yesterday to get from the sea just to this camp but will tell you all about it when I get home.

We get the (censored) papers every day and of course the latest war news, which is very good now and we hope that it will so continue.

Continue to address me in the same was as I have it below and don't worry a moment as I feel fine and am getting along equally as well.
Love, Grant
351st Inf. Band
H.D. Co.
American Ex. Forces
Via New York

September (censored), 1918

Dear Folks:
Will not write a very long letter as we are powerfully busy and I just want to advise you of the very interesting fact that your youngest born is feeling fine - in fact have never been in better health nor had less.

But we have signed the pay roll and will be paid in a very few days now. We are all looking forward to that no doubt we will be paid in French money and they use mostly paper money. It is printed on rather cheap looking paper and it tears quite readily. Nearly every province issues money and it isn't good in other provinces as one has to watch out that he doesn't get it in change. Of course that hasn't bothered me much as I haven't had a whole lot of change. We will get two months pay this time.

Rather think I should have some mail in soon as I haven't had any for a few days.

Moeller and I are still up here at Regimental Headquarters but don't know how much longer we are to be here.

Leo was just in here with a message. It makes it nice to have several around that one knew before. There are several in the Company that I knew before. See Hi Burch every day. I feel sorry for him - being married and so far away from his wife. Well it is war and he shouldn't have gotten married. Of course, he didn't do it to get out of the war.

Had my sweet and succulent beans for dinner today and you know how I love the lovely bean. We had a sort of a meat stew along with it and of course bread and coffee. It was very good.

Did I tell you about the 24 hour watches these peculiar Frenchies use? The dial represents the entire twenty four hours and they speak of 23 o'clock. Don't think much of it.

Don't worry over me a moment. Feel fine.
Grant