Letters Written By Mary F. Goodwin to Family Members Box 3, Folder 31
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Letters written by Mary F. Goodwin to various family members during World War I. She writes from New York City, England and France. As part of the American Expeditionary Forces under the auspices of the YMCA, she trains in New York City at "conferences" then travels to France to work in different capacities with the American troops and internment camps. She is connected to the 82nd Division. She tells about her trip on a transport ship to England and her experiences in New York, England and France. She describes the places she visits, the countryside, people she meets, her work, the dances and parades, friends she sees and the local people. In her November 24 [1918] letter she notes, "Mr. Bev Tucker is near here and there is to be a U.VA Alumni dinner or meeting here this week." She comments on many of the clergy in her area, particularly the Episcopal ministers and in her December 19, 1918 letter she includes a story "Take This Holy Sacrament to Your Comfort" about a service she attended in a hut. Some of her jobs include bookkeeping for the 82nd Division canteens and helping in the internment camps. She reflects on the emotional toll on the men and their future need for help. She talks of German propoganda and how they are trying to "ingratiate themselves with the Army of Occupation." In later letters, where she gives more details of her experiences, she mentions that the earlier letters went through censors.
- Collection Context