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Letters home

William Tremain’s family preserved his words sent to his mother and father during World War I

Photo provided by Laura Brainard Tremain’s rank insignia and badges from his service in the Great War, which ended 100 years ago on Sunday.

Armistice Day.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 marked the end of hostilities during World War I on the Western Front.

It’s been 100 years since the War to End All Wars ceased in the trenches of Europe.

Armistice Day was commemorated in the United States until the day’s name was changed in 1954.

The new name?

Photo provided by Laura Brainard A part of one of many letters that Tremain wrote to his family during his service in World War I.

Veterans Day.

But for William Tremain — who had served as a machine gunner in many of the major American Expeditionary Force actions in 1918 — his time overseas was barely half over.

From a soldier in wartime to a member of an occupying force, Tremain spent well over a year in Europe when many of Warren County’s boys had already returned home.

And while we can’t talk to him about his experiences, he died in 1952, we know what he was feeling, what he experienced, and how he processed the horrors he surely saw in the trenches.

His family has articulately preserved his letters and Laura Brainard of Russell — raised by her grandmother who married Tremain — recently shared them with the Times Observer.

Photo provided by Laura Brainard William F. Tremain

We will provide some background on his life, some context to where he was when he was writing, and some stories from one of the people that knew him best.

But Tremain’s own words — in italics — are the heart of this story. His words detail events on the Western Front as he uniquely saw and experienced them.

These are just a few of the letters he wrote. The letters featured here run without significant editing beyond some well-placed periods, placed simply to make the letters a bit easier to read.

——

William Frend Tremain was born in Washington, Pa. on March 30, 1887.

Photo provided by Laura Brainard Tremain’s discharge paper. He was discharged in August 1919 after 18 months in Europe.

The father of an oil rig builder, the family eventually moved to a house in the Starbrick area near the now-defunct electric plant and then onto a farm in Conewango Township.

Tremain – then 30-year-old -was drafted with the Third Selective Service Contingent and left Warren on October 3, 1917.

Brainard believes his hunting ability developed as a young man in Warren County played directly into him being picked for Co. D., Third Division, 8th Machine Gun Battalion.

“He wrote home whenever he could. (He) would tell his folks ‘If you don’t hear from me, don’t worry.’ He was more concerned about folks at home and how (the family was) getting along financially.”

She said he wrote to his parents, to his brother, a nephew.

Photo provided by Laura Brainard Tremain’s gas mask.

“(He) couldn’t wait to get home to hunt woodchucks and fish on the Allegheny River,” she said. “He would pick up the funny things happening at home.”

“When he first went in,” Brainard said, “he told about the horrid conditions of the camps before he went overseas.”

Camp Greene

Mar. 7, 1918

Dear Father and Mother,

Photo provided by Laura Brainard Tremain identified by the arrow.

Received your letter am glad to know you are all well for I am in good condition. It is raining again today so I guess all we will have to do this fornoon is hit the old bunk and this afternoon we go through the gas attack again. We went through a gas attack the other day. It is known as what they call the tear gas after we were in it for a short time. The officer ordered all masks to be taken of(f) believe me it sure has the right name for the tears shoure did come from our eyes. This afternoon I think finishes up with the gas instructions. I don’t know but they seem to be some very good officers in the machine gun. We have only drilled one half day since I came to the m.g. Of course this drill is all done in double time. We have to run all the time but I like it much more better than the infantry drill for the infantry drill was the same thing over and over every day where here there are eight men in a squad well there is different commands and a main has to keep his mind on the job for he don’t know just when he may be called on and he has to be quick for as he has to run and be quick about it. Every squad has a machine gun and believe me you don’t have to be very close for them to do business. I would say about give hundred times in one minute and there is just about as much difference between an American and a foreigner in this army game as there is day and night. The American soldier has the nerve and if and if he goes after a man he is going to make something move and they are more active not near so clumsy as the foreign soldier. I will say these fellows here are sure a good looking bunch of men and if we ever get to the front we will do our best to put some of them germans to the happy hunting grounds. Well I will close and real real soon for we will be playing ball before long. Your loving son.

Tremain arrived in Europe on April 11, 1918 and went into training from April 28 through May 29.

May 25, 1918

Dear Mother, Father and all,

Will try and drop you a few lines to let you know I am well hoping this finds all well at home. Things are about the same as usual over here, not much change so far. Am still at the same place yet but don’t know for how long. We have been kept pretty busy lately and have not had much of a chance to write. She is a great old game. Still keeps going but I feel sure of the good old U.S. Never lost my courage and I hope you will never feel down hearted about me for we will all try and come back and see the ones we loved so well. Let me know if you have ever reserved the allotment and how things are going for I am always anxious to know how you are. I will have to close for this time. I remain as ever your loving son.

Fighting in the defense of Chateau Thierry, a town on the Marne less than 40 miles from Paris, Tremain wrote to his brother.

June 18, 1918

Dear Brother.

Will try and drop you a line to let you know I am well. Hoping this finds you the same. Just sitting on the edge of the trench now having a little smoke to myself for the (loche? Boche?) seems to be rather quiet today. I expect he is getting rested up for a fresh start but I guess his time is coming to a close pretty soon for you know it is a long road that has no turning but the boys from the states are sure putting the fear in them in all. Harry it is a great war and a hard old life but we are going to try and be here for the finish. It don’t take long for a man to get use(d) to it. The first few shells that burst around you makes a man bounce around a little but it is not long before it is all over and they are not as bad as I expected. Oh, of course a man don’t want to try and play ball with one of them but what I mean they get give back for every one they send and they don’t seem to like that very well. This life is not much like the life we had in the good old U.S. when I could take my little wife by the hand and tell her of the days of long ago. Them were the happy days but we are all hoping we may live to see them times again. But we have some work to finish over here first and that work has to be first of all so here is hoping our good luck and your happy days. I am always your loving brother.

June 28, 1918

Dear Mother and Father,

Received your letter tonight. It found me well except a breaking out on my body some sort of a rash and it has made things some what disagreeable for me but today it seems much better and I guess in a few days I will be alright again but my health seems good and I hope this will find all well at home. We are still holding the same old job down and are ready to meet them on the half way mark anytime and I expect it won’t be long before we will have to do that although the Germans have been using their artillery on us lately. They seem to be poor on their range or are trying for a lucky shot. Once in a while one hits pretyy close and makes a man think of the happy days back home when all was well and we had forgotten all about what the word war meant but now it seems to be just the opposite but one good think you can hear the shells coming and can tell about where it is going and if it is coming your way beat it into the trench and let her go. About the worst we have to encounter is when a barrage is sent over them a man wants to stay under cover or he is out of luck. Tell Paul I got his letter, one from his mother also his father and was very sorry to here that the old drake had tried to knock the nine o’clock train of(f) from the track for that would be a pretty hard thing to do. If the time ever comes when I get back, tell him I will drive the whole flock out on the track that would just make one good meal. I think the germans just got in another cart load of ammunition for they are trying some of it our just now. It makes pretty good music the sooner he gets it used up then he will be quiet for a while. Well, I will have to finish this up and try and get a little sleep for things generally keep up in the night time and we make up for lost sleep through the day. Don’t forget and write often and I will do my best in writing to you. I will close. I am alway(s) your Loving Son.

July 5, 1918

Dear Mother and Father,

Will try and find time to drop you a few lines. I am well at present hoping this finds all well at home. Everything is going fine so far although it has been a little more noisy today then usual but as the fourth was pretty quiet I guess they are trying to make up a little lost time but she still goes on at the same old pace. A person cannot tell what to think about the war but one sure thing it cannot go on forever. One thing though it is not near the war I expected to have to face. We can observe a good many airiel fights from our emplacement and they are quite a thing to see for they certainly do go to it. The machine gunners worst enemy is the heavy artillery for the barrage is generally sent before an attack to try to put the machine gun out also the man behind it then if. Then if the infantry has to retreat that is our hard luck again for then we have to stay and stop them. Well anyways it is not much like home. I will have to close. Your Loving Son.

Tremain wrote the following two letters during the Aisne-Marine offensive, a counter-offensive aimed at reducing the size of a salient in the Allied lines created in a previous German assault. Roughly 270,000 Americans, including Tremain’s Third Division, participated in the assault, according to a history from the U.S. Army. In just over two weeks of fighting, American and French armies had eliminated the salient.

But, more importantly, the offensive proved the mettle of American troops new to the the struggle that had been raging for years. Additional offensive capabilities the Americans exhibited provided a morale boost to the Allied effort.

July 18, 1918

Dear Mother and Father,

A line to let you know I am still living. Hoping this finds all well at home. Things have changed some since last writing you for we had war and real war. We went under one of the heaviest, hardiest bombardments of the entire war. The other night we were at the gun position. That night one would have hardly thought war still was going on. It was just midnight when we began to realize we were going under a heavy shell fire and for eight hours a steady stream of heavy shells from the german heavy artillery was placed on us. How any of us boys came through is a mistery. There was hardly a foot of ground that missed shell fire for miles around. At eight o’clock in the morning we got orders to fall back to another position and as we had to cross an open field. We got it again. They must have seen where we stoped for the next four hours they shelled us their and it was a continually shelling us the rest of the day. It certainly was an awful sight to see the next day although they lost heavily in their attack. We also took on the front fourteen hundred prisoners. I will have to close. Your Loving Son.

July 31, 1918

Dear Mother and Father,

Will now try and fine a few spare moments to drop you a line. I am well and I hope this finds all well at home. I expect you have been worrying about me but this is the first opportunity I have had in the last three weeks to write you for we were in the great offensive against the germans until yesterday when we were relieved for a rest. And after a man goes through what we went through the past fourteen days he feels like as if he was in heaven when laying down and sleeping one night. It certainly is an awful strain on anyone to be under heavy shells. Marched back yesterday and I am just about as stiff as a board. Here is hoping all well at home. I am always your loving son.

Tremain participated in the St. Mihiel offensive in September, which was the “first major operation by an American Army under its own command,” according to the U.S. Army, and took “16,000 prisoners at a cost of 7,000 casulaties.

That set the state for the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

The American and French assault was launched over a 20-mile front and included over 1.2 million American military personnel.

It took weeks of heavy fighting to push through Germans lines, including through the renowned Argonne Forest.

But in early November, a slow advance accelerated rapidly and continued gains were in sight when hostilities ended on November 11.

The following two letters were written during the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

October 28, 1918

Dear Mother and Father,

Just a line to let you know I am living and well. Hoping this finds all well at home. Received your letter yesterday stating you had looked for a letter that morning and had been disappointed. Well I am very sorry for I have not wrote you a letter for better than a month for a quiet sector is a thing of the past in this war so never think because you do not hear from me regular that I am neglecting you for I always think of the ones back home and if anything was to happen to me I am sure it would not be long before you would know about it. We just pulled of(f) from the front and when I say front I am not exagerating things at all for things sure was lively. I never had so many different kind of pills sent to me in my life. They had shrapnel and high explosives for breakfast, gas for dinner, machine guns for lunch, mortar and airiel bombs to go to bed on. It kept a fellow pretty busy dodging all of them and although the battle was the hardest we have had yet, the germans had to give ground for if the American soldiers don’t move them you can make up your mind so one else cares to try it. You know how it is. It has dome time when we have to hit them and hit them and so we are doing it. They have began to realize they have bucket a pretty tough proposition when they bucked the states and I don’t believe this war will last much longer. I sent you one hundred dollars the twenty seventh of September so you should have it before receiving this letter. Well I will close. Hoping (for a?) answer soon. I am always your loving son.

Nov. 4, 1918

Dear Mother and Father,

Will try and drop you a line letting you know I am still living. Hoping this finds all well at home. Things are going about the same as usual. Only we have hit the Huns pretty heavy lately and I think they are getting about all they want of it. I hope so for it would be a great old day when we would here the word homeward. The people I said hello. I will close for this time as I will be able to write more often now for a while. I always your loving Son.

With the war over, Tremain and the Third Division became an occupation force until the Germans formally signed off on peace terms.

It took months.

And as the months rolled forward, one thing becomes clear – Tremain wants to come home.

The first letter below was published in the local paper while the others were all sent to his parents, including a special note to his mother for Mother’s Day.

American Expeditionary Forces

Dec. 18, 1918

Dear Mother and Father,

Just a line to let you know I am still living and well hoping this finds all well at home and enjoying the best of health. The weather is very disagreeable over here so I thought my time could be spent in no better way than sending you a few lines as I expect you are always anxious to know about me. Well, I am still the same as on the morning I left to serve Uncle Sam, only I am now anxiously awaiting for the happy words homeward bound. A good many people in the states I expect have a good many thoughts of how the boys are over here. It makes me laugh sometimes myself when I think about it. Of course I am in the army of occupation and I may be over here for some time yet but one yard of the states is worth all the country over here. So just keep a little corner in the barn yard for me. I went through all the battles and it was one of the greatest miracles in the world to think of how any one could be alive after going through the great battles which were staged. The battle of the Argonne forest was the greatest battle I expect ever staged, an inch seemed like miles but we pushed forward until it was an impossibility for a German to stay any longer before they gave up, day after day we fought so close at range we could hear each other talking, for twenty seven days we were in this battle. That don’t seem long, one would never realize how long that would be until they really were in it themselves. Sometimes I laid so long in one place, could not move. If you did they would make you get back down pretty quick. Many times through this battle I thought the lights had gone out but you know how it is. One chance out of a million and I guess I held that chance.

Well it is getting rather late. I had better close. I am always your loving son.

March 26, 1919

Nickenich, Germany

Dear Mother and Father,

A line to let you know I am well. Hoping this finds all well at home. We are just having our winter over here now or at least it seems that way for it is colder now than any time yet but not near like it is in the states. I got a letter from Dorr yesterday. Him and his little bunch of sweet potatoes are well. Everything is going good over here so far. Once in a while one of them gets a little wild but you know they tame lions now days. Every time I think of the letter I received from Ellen the other day, I have to smile. She said she was so embarrassed. Well, tell her to look in the dictionary and see what that word means for I am pretty sure that was the same boat I was in. Well, I heard Paul was getting to be a great trapper. I heard he caught a house car. Tell him to keep the good work up. He might catch one of John Zerby pigs yet. Well I will close for this time. Hoping to meet you sometime before nineteen thirty. Your loving son.

April 1, 1919

Dear Mother and Father,

A line letting you know I am well. Hoping this finds all well at home. Well, I expect things are getting pretty busy on the old farm by this time. I know they are all getting ready for their farming over here. Outside of that, things are pretty quiet. Everybody waiting for that happy day when we will be returning home. Just one year ago today we piled on the old shop for to be on our way to the old ship for to be on our way to the old battlefield where we had to dodge so many tin cans. We had a great old time in them hard old battles but when they fell they fell hard so here we are in germany eating sauer kraut. I see where Jack and Albert will be hitting the states in May and I have not seen much about the old third going home but I ought to be getting home some time this year. I will have to close. Your loving son.

May 2, 1919

Dear Mother and Father,

A line to let you know I am well. Hoping this finds all well at home. Things are about the same over here. The reason I am writing to you mostly is about my allotment as we signed the pay roll this evening and I am drawing five months back allotment with my pay so I will receive from December until April so I guess you are out of luck but it is all in the family. So what is the use of worrying. If I do not go on pas I might send you twenty five cents to have a good time on the fourth of July. Well, I will close as it is getting rather late but I wanted to let you know about the allotment I am as ever your loving son.

May 11, 1919

Dear Mother,

As this is mother’s day I will see if I cannot find time enough to drop you a few lines as I am well. Hoping this finds all enjoying the best of health at home. Every thing is going about the same over here. Just sticking around waiting for the time to come when we will all be coming home which I do not think is many month away. I stayed through the war and I guess what little time I have to serve now is only depending on whether the germans drink the ink or sign the peace terms and it is almost certain they will sigh so never get discouraged if I am away a little longer than you expected I would be for it was upon us they called upon to finish the good work. So always remember one good turn deserves another. I know it has been quite a while since I stepped across that good old threshold and entered into my dear old home and it certainly will be a happy day when I do for you know we are all anxiously waiting for time for Sonny has nothing on me although he must have had an awful experience if they made him sleep on the ground but just chase a groundhog out of his hole any time for when them shells came over. That was just the same as the parlor to me. It will feel sort of queer to come back and find the old place gone but I guess the chickens on the hill will taste just the same….

July 2, 1919

Dear Father and Mother,

Will try and drop you a few lines to let you know I am well. Hoping this finds all in good health at home. Well I am back in the old place again for the germans decided to sign the peace treaty at least. We were on the banks of the Rhine for a few days and it looked pretty good watching the old boats going past but it would look a whole lot better if the ship would come along taking us to the states. Well, this third army is a great army to be in. They say join the army and ee the country. All you have to do is join the third army and you will have time to see a good part of the country before getting out of it. I don’t know what they are going to do with us now that peace is signed but I think we ought to get home for Christmas so I will have to stage a big blow out. Then I guess it will have to be on red pop and a cigarette. Well, it won’t be many more month(s) until we will be getting home and although it was a tough old game I would not have missed my experience for anything….

He was discharged on August 30, 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey.

When he finally returned to the states, Brainard said he returned to the farm where his parents lived before marrying her maternal grand mother.

“We always called him Uncle Bill,” she recalled.

She said Tremain talked about his time in the service.

“He would always be telling us the funny things,” she said. “I never remember him saying anything about the horror of war. He dwelt more on the positive.

“I never recall him saying anything that would make you lose sleep at night. Grandma saved all the letters.”

Brainard then put them in chronological order and they offer an intimate view into an individual Doughboy’s service on the Front.

It’s clear that his experiences didn’t sour his view of the United States.

“If ever there was a red-blooded American,” Brainard said, he was one. “(He) was very, very, patriotic… He was very, very loyal to the U.S. Nobody wanted to say anything against the US in front of him.”

She said that he would have qualified for disability from the shrapnel wound to his hip but never told the Army.

“When he got out of the service, he went back on the farm. (He) always walked with a little bit of a gimp,” she said.

The family lived in the Dutch Hill area until 1936 before moving to the Little Germany area of Elk Township.

In 1943, Tremain and his wife, Ethel, bought the Hultberg Road residence where Brainard still lives.

In the late 1940s, Brainard explained that a tree limb fell and cracked Tremain in the head “from ear to ear.

“After that, he wasn’t physically able to do a whole lot.”

He died as a patient at the Warren State Hospital in 1952 “but he was not insane.” But such was the reality of treatment of traumatic brain injuries at the time. He’s buried at the Youngsville Cemetery.

“We was just one grand guy,” Brainard said. “I can’t say enough good things about him… A grand ole’ guy.”

Photo provided by Laura Brainard Tremain identified by the arrow.

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