First we had breakfast. It is a cold and dreary day, but God is good to us. I have been thinking of the soldiers. Some are so young, only boys. Looking into their faces one sees homesickness. Every time you talk to them it is of Mother and home. Some say, “I wish I could get a letter” and again, “Oh I wish it was all over” and so on. A few just back from the trenches look into your face and say, “It’s war, and I don’t ever expect to see the U.S.A. again” and “Gee the trenches are fierce.” A soldier’s life is not one to desire.
We had Bible study this morning and it was fine. God came very near.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Demange-aux-Eaux, Meuse, France
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By November 1917, the AEF training zone was fully established. American soldiers were learning trench warfare from French veterans while Margaret and the Salvation Army workers provided food, comfort, and morale support from their hut near the training area.
Research Links for Further Study
- Library of Congress. (n.d.). The American Expeditionary Forces. Library of Congress Digital Collections.
- Boissoneault, L. (2017, April 12). The women who fried donuts and dodged bombs on the front lines of WWI. Smithsonian Magazine.
- Cantwell, C. (n.d.). Doughboys & doughnut girls: The Salvation Army and WWI. National WWI Museum and Memorial.
Diary of a World War I Donut Girl 