WINTHROP — When Jim Wood, 76, of Winthrop thinks about his own family and their contribution to the military service of this country, he often turns to a treasure trove of letters and poems penned by Leon Roy Wood, his late uncle.

Leon Wood served in the Army during World War I with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. His unit kept the soldiers and officers in the front lines supplied with ammunition. He also served in the Army of Occupation after Germany had been defeated and signed the Armistice on Nov. 11, 1918.

What Leon Wood left and were handed down to his nephew are more than 100 letters he wrote to his mother, Elizabeth Wood, and the rest of his family. He also left numerous poems, including those published in a book called “Ramifications.”

“He loved people,” said Jim Wood, who is retired from a 34-year career with the Maine Air National Guard. “He did everything you could imagine for people. He loved to sing. He was just a great guy, a real American patriot.”

Leon Wood ran a firewood business in Lewiston for many years after the war. The motto for his business was, “If you want good wood, get your wood from Wood.” He died in 1981 at the age of 90.

In nearly every letter during the war, Leon Wood attempted to calm the worries of his family, claiming he was a long distance away from any scene of battle. When he got onto the battleground in France and served there for four months, he didn’t describe the carnage in his letters. He described the scene behind the lines and the peaceful villages of France that had won his heart.

He wrote of the “exceedingly attractive” women of Luxembourg and later of the “mighty nice” German country folk who hosted him and another U.S. soldier in their home and gave them apples and pears.

His letters were subject to government censors, but there’s no evidence that a censor ever blacked out anything he wrote. Apparently, he was not supposed to reveal his exact location, so his letters were always posted with vague place references like “Somewhere in France” or just “Germany.”

“Our official directions for writing letters are to write as much as you like, but don’t say anything,” he quipped. “I am still ‘way across the sea,’ but far away from any actual fighting line, so don’t worry, mother, over any imaginary dangers surrounding me. I shall remain here some time, so let your mind rest easy.”


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