Shortly after he was inducted into the Marine Corps, Rehn underwent training in Parris Island, South Carolina, and Quantico, Virginia. He departed for France in November of 1919 and was stationed in Bordeaux and St. Nazaire as part of a Marine guard unit. In the letter below Rehn described his voyage overseas.
"land once more. He has been sick every day since leaving, and at one time was so sick that he gave me his cigarettes, and was about to give me his money but I stopped him. It must be one awful feeling to hang over the rail and vomit and then go through the motions with out getting any thing to come up. Some Lay on the deck and groan. ha! ha! it seems funny to one who is feeling good. But I dont want to brag as we have yet about three days of it, and I may get the same dose We sleep a way down in the hold below the level of the sea. My bunk happens to be along or rather under a port hole which gives me some light but that is about all, as it never is opened and at night after sunset is covered by a lid. One hour after sunset the entire ship is darkened so as to leave no mark for a Sub-marine or any other enemy vessel. Last night my friend and I had several good meals together that is he would tell me what he would like to have to eat, and then I would tell him. We sat on the upper deck untill it got to cool, then went down to our bunks. Pier chow is a little better than we have been getting at [Parris Island] or Quantico, that is, there is not so much"
"grease about it. We used to have every thing cooked in grease but the sailors put out a better chow, they being better prepared for it, in having good untensils. For an example to day we had nice crisp pork chops, potatoes, gravy, bread and tea well when we had that on the Island it was mostly grease including the tea. This morning it was pork sausages, potatoes, oatmeal, bread and coffee not so bad at that was it. As for sleeping aboard a ship it is a peculiar feeling to feel yourself sliding from one end of your bunk to another then find yourself going up and down. I hit the hay about 830 every night and am up at 5. After a wash and breakfast we assemble on one of the upper decks and have rifle inspection ect. untill 1130 when we are dismissed for chow. After dinner the time is out own. We lay down on the decks gaze into the sea, dream of home smoke cigarrettes and laugh at the lads hanging over the rails. Its a regular hoboes life lay around smoke and think. I never was so crazy"
"about playing checkers, but nothing else to do but that. Being broke is all that keeps me from poker or crap games of which there are many going on all the time. Sunday I went to church or services with my friend who is a Catholic. The acting priest preached quite a sermon, and there were many other things about the service which proved interesting to me, it being the first of that kind I have ever attended. That reminds me, some how or other the Luthern Chaplain at [Parris Island] found me and asked as to whether I had been confirmed or not. I told him no and he gave me a talking to and later confirmed me. I had the first glass of wine at that ceremony that I had in six months. The chaplain said he would mail the papers back home, I suppose you have them by this time. I hope this takes your idea of me being a heathen off your mind. Yesterday we had what is called “A Happy Hour” which was amusements of all kinds, namely boxing bouts, dances comic dialogues, singing and an..."
"...that day as long as I live. We got up at the usual time or rather fell out of our bunks at the sound of the bugle when we noticed the ship was jumping up and down and rolling from side to side. Well I dressed went up stairs and looked out. Along comes a big wave and threw me off my feet. Believe me I never heard the wind whistle so much in all my life or saw the rain come down the way it did. It just seemed to be raining side ways instead of coming down in the usual way. After a bit we got used to the storm and stood around watching others roll from side to side. You know they dont feed us at tables here. Each man has an outfit called mess gear which consists of an aluminum pan with lid, canteen, canteen cup, knife, for, spoon, bacon can and a condiment can which is used to carry coffee grounds, salt and pepper. Well to get to what I want to tell you about, we were lined up for chow, holding out our pans when up comes a wave and shoots the ship almost on it side. Every body fell in a heap and got up to find himself covered with"
"coffee, corn, soup, meat and potatoes talk about laugh it was a scream. Everything all over every body. I went to get a drink at one time and I slid about 25 ft after I got it then knocked over a can of oil and fell smack on my back. Ive heard of people falling up a flight of stairs and doubted it, but now I know it can be done as I had the experience. I started to go up and could no have some down if I tried. I just simply fell up. We saw men slide from one end of the ship to another. In the kitchen is where the fun was. I saw pans of meat sliding up and down the range as a boat does on a shoot the chutes. We had smooth sailing for some time and most were wishing for some rough stuff and believe me they got it. Today the sun is shining again and the water has settled down considerably but is not calm The sailors say it takes at times a week untill all is calm."
The letters in this collection span the entirety of Rehn's service and include his time spent in France during occupation after the war ended. Along with the various correspondence to and from Rehn, this collection also contains postcards sent from Rehn to his family in Missouri. Below are a few examples of postcards from his training and service in France.
Sources:
Rehn, George H. Collection. 1982.279. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, MO.
Missouri Digital Heritage Soldier's Records
All images contributed by the National World War I Museum.
