Dec. 9th 1918

Dear Mother;

(The next day after writing a portion of the letter we walked a distance of twenty miles across “no man’s land” where we stayed in some English billets that night and the following morning about six kilometers here. The reason why we had to cover such a distance was that there was no place to billet troops. – You never saw such a country in your life. It is very similar to a swamp across “no man’s land,” the water table is only two feet down, the shell holes are half filled with water. Shell holes are only about two to five but apart, I never saw so many so close together. – There are only a few farmhouses across this sector and they are all smashed to pieces. All the trees are dead from gas and most of them smashed to pieces. – In some places the grass has grown up two feet high almost hiding the barb wire entanglements. It looks like it would be an endless job to clean this land for cultivation... We passed by the town of Ypres but did not go thru it.

Yesterday afternoon and today we have had to rest up. I never have experienced any trouble with my feet.

(Last evening I went up town and purchased a handkerchief that I am enclosing here with, a present for you. I paid the sum of twenty francs for it, or $3.85. – I would like to buy a few more presents for you folks before I leave. These stores have some beautiful lace but I don’t know much about it.

(I think I hold you told you in my last letter that I received the check for 326 francs. – Thank father very much for it and think it will come in handy, providing I have no difficulty getting it cashed.) We are billeted in some English barracks just out of the town of Watou, in Belgium. – The town is almost on the border.

I do not know when I will be home but I have an idea that we will leave this county for the U.S. before long. I am just making a guess at this. We have paid some awful prices for things over here. Of course the supply and demand regulates the price but these people change plenty, especially when selling to the Yanks. – The German soldiers have caused considerable advance through the country. They had captured but now we are across the old line and things are much cheaper.

I will be mighty glad when I get back home. – I will at least know how to appreciate a home when I there too. – I did not know what a home was before I came over here and took on some of the frightening life.

With love to all, from your son,

Ira L. Kent.

Read More of Ira Kent's Letters.