Below is the transcript of letter from Caleb Warren Warner to his mother, written March of 1919, when Caleb was posted overseas with the Army Quartermaster Corp. You can see the original letter.
March 17, 1919
Toul France
Dear Mother:
The last week has been quite chilly here and cold, althou(sic) it has stopped raining. Every thing is quiet and very little doing.
Last Thursday I had a ride in an air-plane. Believe me it is exciting. I went out to the Toul airdrome about three kilometers outside the town and got up in the airplane which was waiting for me. The arraingements had already been made by the Headquarters of the Air Service and a Lieutenant (Avaition) was waiting. I climbed up in the observer's seat in the tail and he took the drivers seat up forward near the engine. It was quickly started and after a short run on the ground at a great speed, we were in the air. You hardly noticed it except the earth was rapidly falling in to space. We circled around gradually getting higher and going over the city. It looked just like the pictures you have seen taken from airplanes, the various colored fields and woods everything seemed very small and you could see quite a distance is spite of a slight haze.
We curved around like a bird and at times almost at right angles to the ground, but there was no danger of slipping out as I was securely strapped in.
Of course I had a helmet on with little ear holes and goggles but the wind made such a howling sound you could not hear anything, and besides it was hard to breathe, due to the speed we were going. I stood up several times to look directly beneath me, and the force of the wind required almost all of my strength.
We would go up and down like a roller coaster only more exciting. It made me a little nervous when the airplane was at right angles as you were afraid it might turn entirely over, and drop down. Nothing of the kind happened of course and we leasurely reached an altitude of about 3500 ft above the earth.
As we had sailed around about twenty minutes and I had all the sensations (?), we now started to come down. This is the worst part of the entire proceeding; one doesn't mind going up or sailing around, but it is the going that gets you.
To begin with, he shut off the engine. I did not like it as while the engine was going you felt, that every thing was alright. We then started plowing towards the earth at a terrific speed. I could see the place were we were to land way over the other side of the river. I didn't see however how we were going to get there. We made a curve in the air which we were surely at right angles, and was the worst one of all. I thought it was all up and we were going to turn over and fall. I fully believe if we had, they would had to take a crow bar to losen my grip from the can(sic) or else would have to bury it with me when they picked up the remains.
Nothing happened however and when about seven hundred feet up he started the engine again, ducked a couple of houses, skipped over a telegraph line and landed in the avation field scarsely without a jar.
I don't think I will go avating again however I prefer to take mine on the earth. Not at any time was I probably in any danger but I don't like to have the engine shut off way up in the air.
I am not any busier than I have been since the first of February, and believe as soon as Col. Haskell gets back, about the first of April, I will try to get my leave, spend it in England, get back about the 17th Apr and then get permission to go home for discharge, by doing this I should be able to leave France about the 1st of May and be finally out of the army by the latter part of that month or 1st of June.
Love to you all
Caleb
OK
CW Warner
Major