(Page 1) AMERICAN Y.M.C.A. ON ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE Vigert - Minse - France Feb. 2. 1919 Dear Friends {Mrs. Viola Madigan} I will drop you a line or two, to let you know I am still kicking around in this part of the world, still able to eat 3 hearty meals a day & look around to see if I missed anything. I hope these lines find the whole bunch well & happy. I haven't received any letters from you lately, but then I haven't heard from hardly any one except my wife. Jack Frost came this way & stole all our nice soft mud. We hated to lose that mud too, as it made such nice soft (Page 2) 2 walking. We have had a little snow but not very much. It snows here, like it rains, I guess, a little at a time. It tries to make it last longer that way, I suppose. I have been very busy lately, doing a little bit of everything & I guess if the truth was told, not very much of any thing. Of course that is a strong point with a soldier, to do as little as possible & get by. I was on a regimental detail, awhile back & the office in charge called me chief, I suppose because I could do so much bossing & so little work. You might think I was lazy, from that, but I deny that I am lazy, I was (Page 3) AMERICAN Y.M.C.A. ON ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 3 191__ just born tired & never got rested. I am not a bit afraid of work for I can lay down and sleep by the side of work. Have you seen W. H. Kent since he got home. I don't know when we will start home, but hope to be among the home friends within the next 3 months & believe me they will all look good to me. I guess I will have to get my tongue in good running order, I will have no end of questions to answer. How many of those questions are you going to ask. Don't ask (Page 4) 4. too many at a time, so I can practice on the answers. Did you get the Xmas cards I sent you. Well I will close for the present and write again, later. Save the left hind leg of a chicken for me & you had better hide the pie and cake, if you wish to keep, once I get home. Give my regards to all my friends. Wishing you the best of luck & hoping to see all of you in the near future, I remain, as ever Your Soldier Friend Mech. I. M. Runyon 60. 6. - 139 Inf. A. E. F. via New York. P.S. Do you want to publish this one. If you do, save me a copy OK S.L. Prindle 1st Lt. (Page 5) Mech. I. M. Runyon Co. C. 139 Inf. A. E. F. AMERICAN Y.M.C.A. SOLDIER'S MAIL [postmark illegible] Mrs. Viola Madigan Route 6 Box 5 Kirksville Mo. U.S.A. A.E.F. PASSED AS CENSORED A. 2313 OK S.L. Prindle (Page 6) WWI. 140.47