My last day with good old Section
Twelve.
Benney and I left the Section for good today. He goes to Avord to enter the Aviation School and I am going home by way of England. I'd a thousand times rather stay in France until the war's over but the family doesn't agree with me. Both of the last two cables from America read "Home." Therefore I must go home to argue it out. We have been packing most of the morning and getting our souvenirs so mixed with our clothes that they don't look suspicious. I have two hundred and sixty pounds of stuff which I hope I can get in all right. We are waiting for the camionette now to come and take us into Châlons. I have finished saying goodbye to the fellows and have just snapped a last picture of a group of them together in front of Ray William's car, smoking their good old Bull Durham. As for old 464, I patted her radiator in a last fond caress and gave her a final drink of water five minutes ago. Dear old "Shen-ick-a-day-dy," as the poilus call her.