London July 25th, 1918.

My Dear People:

This is without doubt the greatest day in my life. Today I any invested with my Military Cross and shall tell you all about it.

The investure was at ten o'clock this morning at Buckingham Palace. I rode to the Palace in proper style, having hired a taxi for the occasion, and was admitted to the inner court yard. The investures in summer are held outdoors. We were taken into the palace and put our walking sticks in the cloak room. There were fifty of us altogether. From here we went into a large reception chamber and were lined up according to rank. This took about half an hour. We marched out in single file and found about a thousand people present and yours truly began to feel quite nervous and uncomfortable. Slowly we took our turns. The King was seated on a large platform and we marched up to him.

Well, I walked up to him like an old pal, and saluted and took a step toward him. He pinned the cross below my wings. His Majesty, asked me how many Huns I had, and how long I had been in France. These I answered without a falter but when he asked me my age and wanted to know how long I had been a captain, I nearly died a natural death. I told him all and he was quite surprised to know that I had been a captain at eighteen. His Majesty graciously congratulated me upon the work and according to the custom shook hands with me. I saluted again and beat it.

The King is much younger than he looks in his pictures and is pleasant in manner. His voice is low and soft and puts you at ease as soon as he speaks. I was too excited to see the palace.

The Military Cross is a very pretty silver cross. I shall have my name and date engraved on the back and deliver it with Cox's Bank. It will be safe there.
Lovingly,
JACK.