Letters from the frontline

Published in the Kerrville Daily Times on May 23, 2025

Memorial Day Weekend is a time we should take a moment to pause and remember those who served our country during times of conflict, especially those who gave their life while serving.

“Wartime Letters Home – Sharing Stories of Service” is an exhibit currently on display at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center). The exhibit pays a beautiful tribute to the local men and women who served in the United States military from World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The exhibit is presented by the Kerr County Historical Commission and the Heart of the Hills Heritage Center.

I watched the committee of local historians work for the last several months, collecting letters, stories, photos and artifacts from families and former service men and women in the community to build the display. The countless hours of work resulted in a profound testament to the Kerr County men and women from all walks of life, who served during wartime, many miles from home. 

In a way, the local historians have written their own letter of appreciation to those who served in the U.S. military.

I am not encouraging you to see this exhibit because it happens to hang in the building where I work. I am expressing my enthusiasm for “Letters Home” because it is a thoughtful, touching and well-researched dive into local history. Come by when you have a spare 30-45 minutes — it’s worth the time to take it all in and read the letters and the stories presented in the exhibit. The exhibit will be on display until June 14 at KACC.

Speaking of letters home, when I was researching the errant groundhog story back in February, I stumbled across a series of “War Letters” published in the Kerrville Mountain Sun in July and August of 1935. In each issue of the paper, a letter from a Kerr County resident who served in World War I was published. 

Victor Earl Garrett

Two letters published in the paper were penned by a name we recognize today, at least from a street sign: Earl Garrett.  

Victor Earl Garrett was one of four Kerr County men who lost their lives overseas in World War I. The other three were Sidney Baker, Francisco Lemos and Emmett Rodriguez — the memory of all four were honored locally by having streets in downtown Kerrville named after them. In total, Kerrville lost sixteen young men in World War I.

My Dear Mother:

I have at last arrived at my destination. It has been on the whole a very pleasant trip.

We censor our own mail here, and, consequently, I have to be very careful; more careful than if someone else were to censor my mail. I am not allowed to state the name of the town where I am stationed. Continue to address my mail to Lieut. Victor E. Garrett, Infantry, U.S.R., Unassigned, American Expeditionary Forces, care of New York Postmaster.

I have not received any mail from home, but I do not expect any for two or three weeks at least, and then perhaps I’ll begin to receive more regularly. I wrote to you from my ship twice and a letter and card from England. I suppose you have received them. I arrived here yesterday at noon. We had nothing to do yesterday or today, but will probably begin work tomorrow.

I am attending the Fourth British Infantry Army School and will probably be here for over a month. We are billeted all over the village. It is a very interesting system. We were all very curious to know what kind of place we would get. There is generally just one officer to every house, but mine is not typical, as there is no family living in the house and an English officer is billeted in the same house.

Everything is very interesting and pleasant here. The people are very friendly and the children are very animated. The mess is also good. When nothing interferes, tea is always served in the different messes about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. So far they have not served coffee at all. I have had coffee several times since I have been in France, and the French people make wonderful coffee. There are two boys at the same station as I that I knew before we came here. One was in Company Three and the other in Company Four at Camp Funston.

I did not get my suit from Wells-Fargo, but feel satisfied that if they do not produce suit soon, they will allow my claim. I suppose that by this time my suit has either been found or else the claim allowed. In the meantime I have plenty of clothes.

Will write again soon. Love to all.

Affectionately, Earl

 You will learn more about the lives and service of Garrett, Baker, Lemos and Rodriguez — as well as many other local service men and women — when you come to see the exhibit for yourself.

When I stumbled across the series of war letters published in the Mountain Sun, there were two entertaining letters written by George Leslie Dowdy. His colorful letters painted a vivid picture of what it is like to be a young man from a small town in Texas who served in France during wartime. I decided to not only share those letters with you today, but also do a bit of research about the man who wrote them.

Leslie Dowdy was born March 10, 1892, in Kerr County, Texas. He was the son of Richard Balem Dowdy and Lee Ella Frances McKeen Dowdy. Some of you familiar with local history may recognize the Dowdy surname. In 

1878, four children of James Elias and Susan Cassels Dowdy were massacred in Mountain Home by men dressed in Native American costume. Richard Balem Dowdy, the father of Leslie, was a sibling to the four children who were killed in the raid — which is a story for another column.

In 1910, Leslie was single, 18 years old and listed in the Kerrville census as a farm laborer on his family farm. His World War I draft card, dated June 1, 1917, listed his trade as a carpenter and noted that Leslie had a tall, slender build, light brown hair and blue eyes.

He trained for war in both New York and New Jersey and by early 1918 was serving in France — and he really did not enjoy the journey “across the pond.”

In both the letter to his mother and to his sister, you can almost feel Leslie’s yearning for home, along with his disdain of traveling across the ocean. The war had ended by the time Leslie penned the letter to his sister in February 1919. His wish to be home to help W.D. with the threshing was granted. He left service on May 14, 1919.  Note: In his letter to his  mother, Leslie asks if anyone has heard from Monroe.  Monroe is most likely Monroe Dowdy, one of the 16 local casualties in World War I.

On Nov. 12, 1919, Leslie married Dovie Anna Gourley (not the Lottie who was mentioned in one of his letters). Leslie and Dovie had eight children. They remained in Kerr County until the 1930 census, when Leslie owned his own farm. Sometime in the mid-1930s, the family moved to Boerne. In 1940, the family was living in Kendalia in Kendall County and, in 1950, Dovie and Leslie were living in Blanco, where he was employed as a rock mason.

Leslie died in 1953 at the age of 61, and Dovie died in 1978. They are both buried in the Blanco Cemetery. Many relatives of Leslie, descendants of James and Susan Dowdy, still live in Kerr County today.

“Wartime Letters Home – Sharing Stories of Service” will be on exhibit at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center, 228 Earl Garrett St., until June 14. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Admission is free.