Edward Wirt’s ankle healed fast and he was out of the hospital at Camp Devens in Ayer, Massachusetts, when he wrote this letter. His unit, the 76th Infantry Division, was seriously under-manned, but by late May of 1918, it was finally approaching combat strength due to the steady influx of recent New England draftees, as Wirt noted. He knew that this meant that he would soon be shipped overseas to the war, and although he was a little apprehensive, like most soldiers he was also excited at the prospect. Plus, they had at long last been issued perhaps their most important piece of equipment: their helmets (referred to here as “tin derbies”). There are ninety letters from Mr. Wirt to Miss Bartlett in the PVMA collection, some of which are included on this site.
Wirt, Edward Roswell. WWI letter to Emily Gladys Bartlett. May 25, 1918. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l01-012/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.