Edmond Nicely McGee
Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 26 December 1917, page 1
Every man in Brest, France is wearing a uniform, most of them recovering from wounds received at the battle front in the great war and most of the women are in mourning for their dead. This striking word picture of the war and its effect on France is penned by M McGee, known to his friends as "Muggs" son of Mrs. Anna McGee of 8 Evergreen av. Newport, who is serving in the US Navy on the US ship Von Steuben, off the port of Brest, France.
Parts of his letter to his mother, written about a month ago, furnish interesting pen pictures of what is going on on the other side of the Atlantic. He writes:
"Well, this is a queer town. The people are very nice but mighty poor. Every man is wearing some kind of uniform, most of them just recovering from wounds they received at the front. Almost every woman you see is in mourning. I suppose you are anxious to know how I succeeded with my work. I could not expect anything better. Not one little thing happened to marr the work. Of course we made nothing but bread, but 2500 loaves a day and they weighed two pounds each, so you can imagine how much they ate at Thanksgiving.
I got another surprise yesterday. I was offered duty ashore in France for the remainder of the war in a bakeshop being built there for all Americans. It will not be ready for some time yet so I can think it over. I don't think I will take it, at not least before we get back to the states once more. I think we will stay in Philadelphia for a new months after we get back for repairs and I am going to visit home if I can. we are bringing back two bodies of American soldiers killed at the front some time ago."