Harvey G. Mack (25 July 1889 - September 1984) who
in WW I drove an ambulance like E. E. Cummings, stayed after the war to work as a carpenter in the French reconstruction and remained a carpenter the rest of his life. The postcards here were written during his Mennonite service with the Red Cross, 1917-1919. Because he spoke German he was also given responsibility of German POWs who he revisited later in life. See
A Service of Love in Wartime: American Friends Relief Work in Europe, 1917-1919 (Appendix, 275). He worked in Dinan with Miss Kitchener, sister of the first British War Secretary, Lord Kitchener, seated next to him below. Mennonite historian J. C. Wenger says he "sailed for France in June 1918," but the first postcard of January 1918 alludes to his Christmas there the preceding year. Wenger says he "served in reconstruction work under the American Red Cross and the American Friends Service Committee, returning to the United States in March, 1920 (
History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference, 75). Some of his letters exist in the
Jacob C. Clemens Papers, MHEP:
| Mack, Harvey and Barbara Hess (20 letters) 1918-1954 |
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84 |
| Mack, Jesse H. (5 letters) 1907-1924 |
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84A |
| Mack, Noah H. (8 letters) 1918-1933 |
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85 |
| Mack, Philip G. (5 letters) 1917-1920 |
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| He worked in Dinan with Miss Kitchener, sister of the first British War Secretary, Lord Kitchener, seated next to him in the photograph below. |
Click / Double Click to Enlarge
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| On the way to Paris and Verdun, given a pocket watch my Miss Kitchener, Henry mentions the style of dress and "head coverings" to Anna, possibly as a joke, since she got in some much trouble about them, as did most Mennonites. |
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7. The Viaduct, Dinan, France
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| "It is good news-so is the finish of the war.... The work will end here before long, then I intend to do real reconstruction." |
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| "Special service for the Armistice." |
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| "expect to spend the rest of this vacation in Southern France." |
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| "I did not see President Wilson." |
