Brothers John P. and Morgan Starbuck wrote 29 letters to their parents and sister in Nyack, New York, while serving in the American Expeditionary Forces in France and Germany following World War I. They discussed their health, daily activities, travels, and training.
John P. Starbuck wrote 20 letters home from March 6, 1919-June 23, 1919. He was stationed in Koblenz, Rhens, and Güls, Germany, where he described his army work, commented on German citizens, and reported news about his brother. He occasionally discussed the possibility and benefits of taking a vocational business course, and he was admitted to the 4th Corps Advanced Vocational School in Bad Neuenahr, Germany, in April 1919. While at the school, he copied his daily schedule, which included lectures, drill, and athletics. In May, Starbuck's regiment went to Malicorne-sur-Sarthe, France, where they awaited departure for home. Among other subjects, he mentioned his fellow soldiers' propensity for spending their money on "French booze."
Morgan Starbuck wrote 9 letters to his family from March [15], 1919-April 12, 1919. His early letters primarily concern his health and recovery from an influenza infection. His later letters pertain to his experiences in France while awaiting departure for the United States. In one letter, he shared his expectation that soldiers returning home would cause an increase in marriages.
Caleb B. Starbuck and his wife Eliza had three children: John P. (b. May 18, 1889), Morgan (b. August 8, 1891), and Clara (b. March 1893). The Starbuck family lived in Chicago, Illinois; Lodi Township, New Jersey; and Nyack, New York, before the outbreak of World War I. The Starbuck brothers joined the United States Army during the war: Morgan Starbuck served in the 305th Field Hospital, 302nd Sanitary Train, and John P. Starbuck served in Company H of the 51st Pioneer Infantry Regiment. Morgan was stationed in France at the end of the war, and he returned home in April 1919. John was stationed in multiple German cities in the spring of 1919, and attended the 4th Corps Advanced Vocational School in Bad Neuenahr, Germany, in April 1919.
