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Semper Fidelis Marine Corp. Logo United States Marines Quantico, Va. May 11, 1918
Dear Mother, Arrived here this morning and sure was glad to step off from the train as it was getting mighty tiresome. Was seven and a half days on the road and never got off from the train but 3 or 4 times on the way.
We passed through eleven states in all. Come by the valley route & stopped off in Los Angeles about fifteen minutes to limber up. Our next stop was in El Paso Texas. It is a quite a nice town according to my notion. The Red Cross passed out apples and post cards to us. There
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wasn't much to see going through the desert country especially Arizona, New Mexico & Texas. It commenced to look a little better when we hit Oklahoma. We stopped a while in Oklahoma City but is was about midnight when we pulled in and never got to see much. From Oklahoma we went into Arkansas which is a very pretty state. Lots of timber & every thing green. We stopped in Little Rock & it was quite a big town itself. We sure see lots of negroes down here through these states & old time houses. We sure soused a guy in Booneville Ark. for trying to soak us a nickel apiece for doughnuts. We ruined nearly everything he had such as pies, cigars etc. He sure beat it in a hurry. We gave a couple of coons some more in Little Rock for the same reason. From Little Rock we went on into Memphis Tenn. and we were met at the station by the Red Cross and they gave us all kind of eats. Got a good view of the Mississippi River just as we pulled into Memphis. She must be at least a mile wide. We crossed through the upper end of Mississippi, Alabama, & Georgia. There is a town about every mile through here. Stopped at a Chattanooga and had a little parade and it sure was a hot hole. From there we went on
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up to Knoxville, then to Roanoke, Lynchburg, Richmond & then on up to Quantico. This place is nothing like what I expected it to be. We haven't as much room as we had at Mare Island. There sure is a bunch of wooden barracks here & lots of Marines here & lots coming in every day. There was over 600 on the Special & it took 14 coaches. We can look down upon the Potomac River & there is nothing small about it. We passed lots of Army camps on our way & some aviation camps. Seen about a dozen machines up in the air at a camp in Arkansas. We
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Semper Fidelis Marine Corp. Logo United States Marines
see them flying around here all the time. Haven't seen Ross yet but am going to hunt him up. Don't expect to be here long myself. Some of our bunch have left already. When you write send it here any ways.
Our train ran into a machine or rig I don't know which & killed a man & wife & three children near Bakersfield somewhere. We killed two cows later on. Nearly ran into the rear of a passenger train in Arkansas which was
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stopped in front of us. They all jumped out of the window that could. One negro woman hurt her leg a little, otherwise no harm done. Had to do guard duty on the train every other day, two hour shifts.
Some had to serve chow which was a much harder job. Woods is still with me. Several Paso Robles boys & one from San Miguel. Well mother I could write all day about the trip but have to get busy & wash up a lot of dirty clothes. Think we go to the range tomorrow. Hope I get one of the medals. Well write again soon when I get settled down more. Did you get the cards. I wrote about a dozen on the way to different ones. Well good bye. Lots of love to you all. From your loving son, Albert. P.S. Write soon.