Verdun, part 2

"At Romagne they are building an American cemetery. They are moving all dead Americans in this section of the front into this one cemetery. It must be an awfully unpleasant kind of work. They have many labor troops working at this and also German prisoners. The prisoners make coffins and dig the new graves. There are quite a number of P.W.s and P.G.s (P.W.=Prisoner of War and P.G.=Prisoner de Guerre, which is French for war). A P.W. is a Boche (German) captured by Americans and a P.G. a Boche captured by French. They keep them in barbed wire pens under guard always and paint the letters P.W. on the back of their coats and on their trousers also. Theirs must be an unhappy lot. They look well-fed. Guess they get the same ration our soldiers do. But that isn't saying much. For what they are issuing now will support life but you couldn't make a man enjoy eating it all the time.

The weather here is excessively hot and everyone is awaiting news from the signing of the treaty. If the Germans do not agree to sign the treaty Monday, we go forward Sunday (22nd). Everyone here is anxious to move somewhere. They are getting tired staying here.

Love to all-
Alfred"

Within the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, built near Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, rests the largest number of American military dead in Europe, 14,246. Most were lost during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I.