Cecil Rife was a girl living in Hendrickson's neighborhood; they married after the war.
June 9 1918
My dear Cecil -
{1}Well how are you - and all the rest of the folks. Seen mother lately and has she rec any word from me yet?
{2}I wrote to her just a few days after we landed and have wondered if my letter got to her. It was not many days after I saw you until I was on French soil - We were kept very much on the move until we landed over here.
{3}The trip across the water was rather tiresome with nothing in particular to see. Had the experience of some pretty rough sea after we were out a few days. But I kept going most all the time. First day of rough weather tho I did not feel any the best. I never saw even so much as a large fish on the way across. Our convoy did not make very fast time coming over - but we had a very fine trip -nothing exciting at all. And every body seemed to be in best of spirits.
{4}What I've seen of France I like. The most beautiful piece of country you ever saw. Every thing green and seems to grow so good.
{5}Where we have one town - France has three or four of them. While you often see things that are very modern - you see some other things that are more ancient than our country can ever produce. Some of the customs of the people would sure make you laugh if you ever happened to see them. So entirely different from anything we are used to or even thot of.
{6}I have visited one of the old cathedreals. I saw one date something like 16 hundred and something. I dont know if it had any thing to do with how old that massive thing was or not - but it sure looked old enough to have been built then. They are not so beautiful on the out side and some parts of the inside but their alters - crucifixes, statuary & paintings and large banners - and all the other things they use there and the flowers too - are wonderfull. It is so large - so old and such a wonderful piece of work you just stand there in awe and look and keep on looking, for the more you are there the more there is to see. You could spend and hour simply studying one painting I saw. Not saying anything about the numerous other paintings and statuary that is just about as good as the one I noticed in particular. It was fully a life size painting of the Virgin Mary - The setting of the picture was beautiful, but the picture itself - I dont know if it was the blending of the colors or quality of the colors or just alone the ability of the painter to produce the effect - but the painting seemed magnetic. I never saw any thing that equelled it.
{7}I've seen some other things that were just as new to me and interested me most as much as the Old Cathedreal.
{8}The weather is another feature of note - always sun shine - Read one nite to 10:30 with out lamp.
{9}But the people sure have one on me when it comes to talk. I take a lesson every day in it - yet it comes awfully slow. I have a few idioms I know - but I am studying the grammar with it. So that way I will be able to understand what I know about it.
{10}It hardly seems real I saw you only a few weeks ago. Seems more like a dream. But I guess it is true just the same.
{11}Well I've seen quite a number of French girls and unless I see something very much different from what I've already seen - I am absolutely in favor of the girls back home. Some fellows may want to stay over here - but not me. It would take this place here over 50 years to even catch up with Danville - going some is it not? Talk about things modern and an up to date business and industral country - you dont realize what a real country you are living in. If this country is worth fighting as much for as they have done and will do yet - then our country is worth all the effort they can possibly put forth.
{12}Cecil - see if mother has heard from me - if not show her this letter & address.
{13}Write when you can - I dont have an idea I will be able to answer all my letters - but you will have more time & opportunity to write than myself and they will be appreciated to the fullest. You know any thing interests me that comes from home. Hoping you feel as fit as I do I am as ever your best friend -
Cpl. Paul B Hendrickson
Hdq. co. 129 Inf.
A.E.F. via New York.
June 18 1918
My dear little Friend -
{14}I rec. the letter today you sent to my southern camp that got there after I left. was very interesting to me as it is the last real news from you - for I went thru my home town too blooming fast to get hardly a word of conversation with you.
{15}I wished for more time, you may be sure of that. and Ive written more letters now to you than any other person in the States. I don't know tho how many you will rec, all of them I hope.
{16}I am having some pretty hard hikes now and have seen hundreds of sq. miles of France as we are not in one place all the time.
{17}And beautiful country, girl - I never knew such beautiful scenes existed in real life. or at least that I should have the privelege of seeing them. And I know you well enough to know you would enjoy them as much as myself if not more.
{18}I havent words or any other means of describing what a country this is - only I know I haven't had or ever will have any regrets of coming over and doing what I can to save it - and I believe every American over here feels the same way about it. At present I guess I am very safe. Or at least I never think of it in any other way. Fact is I'm very busy for there is a heap to do and no time or desire to think of anything but of the things to do. So I guess I wont worry even when we get to the trenches.
. . . .
{19}I'm not getting fat altho I feel as fine as can be. This evening my feet are so sore from hiking I can hardly hobble around. Will be better in a day or so.
{20}Have seen more cathedreals - some great pieces of art and so ancient. And old dutch wind mills with the 4 big wing fans on it and water power mills with the big wheel out side. you would think you were back in ancient history some place, to see some of the sights around places Ive been. I can speak a very little French now - learning it from the grammar while slower I find to be much better and all the people are so willing to help you with the pronounciation which is so much different from the English; you have to hear the French say it before you can begin to get it right. Their grammar is some what different too from our mother tongue.
{21}The French people treat you like a brother if not better. They seem to like the "Americains" from what they say and judging by actions [obliterated] amis: [obliterated]
. . . .
Paul Hendrickson [text obliterated by censor, W. J. Smith]
Aug 18 1918
My dear little Pal -
. . . .
{22}I havent rec. any letters in the last week or so but yours, so you can imagine how glad I was to get it - and especially from you. Am having a hard time keeping the picture tho. When any one gets a glimpse at it they want to glom on to it, I dont know what a fellow wants with another ones pictures, but they seem to want it just the same. This is by far the best picture Ive seen of you. And am still wondering how one girl can make juch an improvement in so short a time.
{23}To see pictures from home like that, can you wonder I want to come back all the more? But if a shell drops a few feet closer to me than the one did last evening - well I guess it would be all off - me ever coming back. It dropped within 50 ft of where I was standing, but none of the pieces I heard whizz by happened to find me - so I make a dive for the closest trench, & just get in side when another lobbs down just about where I was standing. About 12 or 15 was all that came over and those were the closest ones to me. They were not large ones & did no damage.
{24}You said in your letter you were glad I was getting to see so many interesting things. Well that is alright in a way, but some times it gets too d- interesting, and exciting, as not long ago when I was out about 1 oc. a.m. one nite & got lost, strayed pretty well into - where - I haden't ought to be - before I found my mistake, so you can imagine how I felt for a while until I got located & started back the right way at least.
{25}It sure nuff is not so quiet here. plenty going on all the time. Of course it is not so enjoyable as being around where there are young ladies & all that you know, for it is a man's game here and a pretty grim business, when you see some sight Ive seen.
{26}Well dear little girl - it was not long ago when I fired my first shot at the Germans. It sure was a big one too, the shell was 9.2 inches in diameter and about 28 inches long. You see they let me fire the big Howitzer once - and that was enough. The concussion is something terrible. Takes more nerve to do the thing than I first imagined it would. It is deafening to be so close when the charge explodes. And that is all the shooting at the germans Ive done as yet. Our work does not take us where we come in conflict with Jerry.
. . . .
{27}-- just got back from doing an hours work, a big shell lobbed down within a few yds of us, we flopped down on our faces just in time, I picked up some pieces that fell by me, let go right quick tho, for they were hot as hadeas. They are pretty darned careless where they drop those big fellows - if they are not careful some one's going to get hurt.
{28}Well I will close for this time, if I am real lucky I may get to see you and you may get to talk to me for months as you say you feel like you could. I hope as much at least. With best of wishes from your Best Pal.
Paul B Hendrickson. Hdq. co. 129 Inf. A.E.F. via New York