DAY 312: VETERAN'S DAY: Bradfordsville, KY WW I Soldier

I sought out an old photo album I bought a long time ago tonight because I was remembering the pictures taken by a young soldier on board a ship during WW I.

I think the fellow was probably from Bradfordsville, KY - almost sure of it.

There were pictures in the album of a favorite dog on the ship,  and of several of the soldiers passing the time playing games, such as checkers.

There was one photo taken by the soldier of the Statue of Liberty.

The page I'm showing here is of a boxing match on the ship. What an audience! Those guys were eager for entertainment!

I have spent tonight scanning half of that little photo album. I really am thinking that a lot of the pictures might be early turn-of-the-century Bradfordsville, KY, from this soldier's point of view.

 From the pictures, he was just an ordinary country guy from deep in the heart of Kentucky. There are church photos and lots of country farm photos, including women in long dress and bonnets standing beside wagons full of tobacco - the way they would have dressed here in the first part of the last century.

After living this sheltered, loving, country life, this young man went into service and travelled the world, probably seeing a few things he wished he hadn't in the process.

I really liked seeing the pictures he took on their way home, though. It was interesting to me to see how the soldiers were passing their time. To me, they seemed like little boys. Anxious to get back home and just finding a way to pass the time. So innocent.

Comments

[Lillian Reid]

Hi, My mother is from Bradfordsville. My great aunt use to make hats there.
I understand also there was a hat factory there once. Do you have a picture of
a hat factory in your album from Bradfordsville.
I would love to see it, I would love to see all the pictures and show my Mom, she
remembers all the people there. She left when she went to college and is not 81 years
old but still talks about Bradfordsville all the time.