Wednesday
July 11, 1917
Today I am finally getting shipped overseas. I will be joining the 147th Infantry, 37th Division. I have waited the longest time for this opportunity, to serve and protect our country. I am very eager to do so but I can only think of one thing that’s a big concern to me as of now, my older brother Joseph Collins won't be there with me to fight.
We have always been very close but as of recently; however it’s been very different. We've always talked about joining the military and now that time has finally arrived it seems as if he hesitant. Joseph has been giving me the cold shoulder is what it seems and I don’t know why. I've been trying to figure that out, what the problem could be of course. My question was finally answered as of 3 days ago, he told me what was really going on. “You’re going to be an uncle” he said, that brought tears to my eyes. I was overwhelmed with joy.
Joseph said that the reason he had been distancing himself was because, he was trying to make a decision on whether he should still go overseas or stay home. I understood that he had to make a hard decision, but at first I couldn’t come to terms and accept that. I felt as if something huge had been ripped out of the grasp of my hands. Don’t get me wrong, I was very happy about the fact that I was going to have a nephew, but at the same time, I’ve been waiting my whole life for me and my brother to fight together.
That was the dream, that’s what our goal was. I really don’t know any more if this is what I am going to do because without Joseph, it seems as if our plan, our dreams would all be going down the drain in the trash so to speak. I hope he does enlist still because that would be the greatest thing in the world.