Lewis J Ashby Letters

Twenty-seven letters written by Private Lewis J. Ashby to his girlfriend Mildred A. Neher while serving in France, and occupied Germany. Lewis J. Ashby (sometimes spelled Louis in military documents) served with the 2nd Battalion of the 117th Engineers during World War I. This battalion was recruited at the outbreak of the war for immediate active service as combat engineers who performed the dangerous work of building roads, bridges, and putting up barb wire, often while under enemy fire. The 2nd Battalion was the first complete unit from California to see active service in France and the only one to serve through all of the campaigns on all of the important fronts.