My grandfather Frank Gustaf Severin Erickson wrote this letter in Swedish from White Pine, Oregon on November 25th, 1917 to his mother Christine Brita (Olson) and father Anders Alfred Erickson at the family farm in Regan, near Wilton, North Dakota

Frank had joined the American Expeditionary Force out of Baker, Oregon in the summer of 1917 and was awaiting orders from the army on what training camp he would report to. By early 1918 he was heading to Camp Lewis near Tacoma, Washington to visit his brother, Ernest Julius Erickson, who was training there since late 1917.

Frank ended up training at Camp Upton on Long Island in New York, then prepared for debarkation to Europe at Camp Mills, NY. On August 8th, 1917 he boarded the steamer Nestor with the 160th Infantry of the 40th Division out of Brooklyn Harbor and crossed the Atlantic to port in Liverpool, England.

Three weeks later Frank along with Company H were replacements crossing the English Channel with the 308th Infantry of the 77th Division and headed to France. He would serve at the Front as a Runner / Rifleman under the command of Major Charles White Whittlesey. The 77th would be involved in the massive Meuse Argonne Offensive that would eventually lead to the end of the war. Frank was a fortunate survivor of what would soon be referred to as the "Lost Battalion.

On the evening of November 26, 1921, three years following all the troops return Major Whittlesey despondent and harshly affected by the war committed suicide. He was last seen late at night after dinner and drinks with friends aboard the SS Toloa and was never seen again. He had jumped overboard in the dark as the ship sailed from New York to Havana. Whittlesey's body was never recovered. The war took casualties long after the last shot was fired on November 11th, 1918.

Translated from Swedish:

November 25th 1917

White Pine
Camp Oregon

Dear Parents,
I am writing you a few lines to let you know that I am alive and have my health, I wish you the same. I am still cutting cordwood but will not be doing so in a few days’ time.

I am traveling to Baker and could be working there for a month or so. It is better to work during winter in Baker, as there is so much snow in the woods.

If I don’t find work I like in Baker, I may be going to Mackay, Idaho. They are advertising for men to work in the mines in Mackay so I might be going there. They have plenty of work on the ranches around Baker, though I don’t feel like doing that kind of work in the winter.

I heard from Sebran recently and I wrote him a letter a few days ago. I did not know that he has left Texas.

I received a letter from Ernest a few days ago and he told me that Sebran had left Texas but he (Ernest) didn’t know where Sebran is now.
Send me his address when you write to me.

A dear greeting to you all
From you son
Frank

Baker, Oregon
General Delivery