American postcard from World War I

c. 1918

Used, but not mailed, postcard was produced in the USA during World War I. The front has a colored photograph of a platoon of soldiers standing at attention in front of their barracks. The caption at the upper right reads "Life in the U.S. Army Cantonment.", and the caption at the bottom left reads "Platoon Front." The opposite side has handwritten message, but no address or postage stamp. The handwritten message in pencil reads: "I been up here two weeks now. Near starve I sent a book of postals I forgot to put the address on it let you know about it 63 died up here Sunday with the influensie or grip How is every body getting along." The message is not signed, dated, and is without location information. The message appears to be about the 1918 flu pandemic with a personal report on the death toll in a military unit struck by influenza.