My relatives recently cleaned up and painted the walls on the barn on the property. After removing old bales of hay, they discovered notes posted by 3 American soldiers in 1917 and 1918. This was a large property and the American army requisitioned the barn for sleeping quarters for enlisted men, and several bedrooms in the main residence for officers. In my great grandmother's diary, I find her notes about the yanks who stayed for weeks and months. She seemed very fond of several of them, cooked French meals for them, and her daughter Marguerite attempted to teach them French. Her comments regarding her Yanks are so humorous. For example: While they incessantly chew that atrocious gum and put their feet on the table, my Yanks are such a joy. Always cheerful in spite of these horrible circumstances so far away from home, some look like little boys, still so young and they sure love my food. On another note she mentions that her daughter Marguerite, 19 yrs old at the time, spends a lot of time in the orchard teaching French to the Yanks. Marguerite fell in love with an officer from California and married him after the war. When she followed him to America, it broke her mother's heart. I posted photos of the notes left by the GIs nearly 100 years ago, and have been able to find the families of two of them. Still looking for the 3rd. Their descendants were gratified to receive this note from their ancestors, and pictures of the home where they spent time while fighting the war in France. The three soldiers were: J.P. Barinque (Jean Phillip), 326 Infantry, Headquarters Co. Pounders, Nov. 17, 1918 Charles Fenstermacher, 315th Infantry Band 79 (Headquarters Co.) July 25 thru Sept 8, 1918 Edw. Clark, Hqrs Co. 114th US Infantry - Camp McClellan, Anniston, Alabama Was not able to find anything on Edw., Clark, no idea where he came from or where his descendants might be.
Photos of the three notes left by the soldiers, and picture of the family estate in Esnom au Val (Burgundy, France)

This American GI stayed in the home of my great grandparents from July 25th to Sept 8, 1918. The army had requisitioned the home for both enlisted men and officers. My great grandmother cooked meals for them and grew very fond of her Yanks. I was able to retrace this soldier family to present time and sent them photo of this inscription by their ancestor, left on the wall almost 100 years ago, as well as pictures of the farm house that housed him.
Note on wall left by Charles Fenstermacher in France, 1918, WW1
My ancestral home
My cousin, Patrick Flocard lives in our ancestral home. He recently discovered notes left 100 years ago by American GIs in WW1. he took these photos last summer 2012. We wanted to send them to their families here in the US, and also to find out if they made it safely back home after the war.
Our ancestral home in Esnom au Val, France
Esnom au Val, France
Photograph
just signed his name on our barn wall.
Drawing
Note left by a WW1 GI on the wall of our ancestral home
Edw. Clark left his note on the wall of our old barn. He was with Hq. Co. 114th US Infantry, Camp McClellan, Aniston, Alabama. Unfortunately he did not write down a date. Americans stayed in my family home from Set. to Novemeber 1918, so we presume that he was there around that time. Have not been able to trace back where he came from, or if he survived the war.