My dad’s oldest brother, Mortimer McKinley Austin (Mac) fought in WWI. Sometime around January 1918, Raymond Austin sent his brother Mac’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, address to the Lone Scout magazine asking for people to write Mac. Many girls wrote from all sections of the country wrote Mac. The following is one of those letters and was written from Porterville, California.
Mr. Mortimer Austin
Company F, 11th U.S Infantry
Military Branch, Chattanooga, Tennessee
My dear friend Mortimer!
As I am unknown to you, I have made up my mind to write you a few lines thinking perhaps you would enjoy a letter from a “Little California girl.” I have a kid brother; he was reading in a paper and your name was in the paper and I thought that I would write you as he asked me to. In other words, he dared me to. So here goes for some foolish stuff.
How long have you been training and how do you like it? Suppose you boys get awfully lonesome. A bunch of Porterville and Visalia boys were home at Christmas and New Year. We sure had some time. We had dances every eve; and of course we girls had all of the dancing we wanted in two weeks time.
In Visalia, they give the “Yama-Yama” dance. My chum and I dress in Yama Yama costumes (pink). She and I did the Yama first. We sure had some time.
My I hardly realize that I am in California and you in Tennessee. And have you ever been out here? If so, how do you like?
I finished my schooling in 1916. Suppose you finished before enlisting? And do they have good schools in Tennessee, and what kind of climate. I sure would like to go to some of those eastern states.
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