Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1917 — U.S. BOYS MEET IN FRANCE [ARTICLE]

U.S. BOYS MEET IN FRANCE

FORMER ST. JOE, MICH., LAD MEETS FRED HAMILTON AT BASE HOSPITAL. The following letter was received from * former St. Joe, Mich., lad by Marie Hamilton: Base Hospital No. 12, France, July 16, 1917.

Dear Miss Hamilton: No doubt this will be rather a surprise to you but it will be no bigger a one than the one witnessed by me today. I ran into Fred Hamilton today! Here we are—s,soo miles from Rensselaer and a million miles from nowhere—-and running into each other. I recognized him but he could not place me for a while. a Fred is in hospital here under our care and observation. His ailment is what we diagnose as P. U. O. (pains from unknown origin), or as commonly called “trench fever.” It is an ailment which has developed during this war. It only affects the legs and feet. It is caused from the lime water iirthe~trenches, which irritates the nerves of the feet and legs and makes standing on them unbearable. He is getting along nicely and will be discharged from here soon. He has spent considerable time resting up, which is the best cure for the complaints —— This is one of the best nights I ever passed hepe. We talked over old times and had a grand old time. Fred is looking fine and is much 'larger than when I last saw him. He sure is different from she average man of the trenches. He is carefree, jolly and full of life, as usual, and to hear him talk you would never think he had spent seven -months in the trenches. No doubt you had heard of our leaving Chicago. We are Northwestern University Base Hospital Unit No. 12, operating in France for six weeks, to date.- There were numerous articles of our departure, trip and arrival. We left New York on May 19th and returfied on the 21st after an accident on board in which two nurses were killed by an explosion. A week and a half later we encountered submarines and had a lively time for a while dodging submarines and torpedoes. We did not worry much, as we had three six-inch guns on board. This is a fairly good country out here, but you cannot call it “Sunny France.” At least not from the weather we have had for the last six weeks. No doubt Fred has told you of the peculiar days we have here. It gets dark at 10 o’clock in the evening and is very cold during the night. We use four heavy blankets at night, when we sleep. It is very hard to get sleep around here nowadays, but it is all in the game. I suppose you are now enjoying real summer weather in Indiana and having a gay old time. We wish we Sbe there also. One canot realize how far away from home he is until he has been away for a while. Am really glad I haven t had the oppoTtuX to long for the States yet but there are many boys in the unit who have been very homesick. It is getting rather late now so I will have to close for this once. Hoping to receive a line from you at your convenience, $s it will be Sjea ly appreciated. Give my regards t the folks and tell them R ot . to worry about Fred, as he will be m tip-top shape within two weeks. With kind regards I remain, Sincerely yours, PTE. CHARLES PIROLA, Base Hosp. No. 12, U. S. Army P 0. S-18, B. E. F., France.

Closing out new and second band bicycles, plenty of them. —Main Garage.