Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1918 — SARGEANT CLIFFORD BOULDEN WRITES LETTER FROM FRANCE [ARTICLE]

SARGEANT CLIFFORD BOULDEN WRITES LETTER FROM FRANCE

* U. S. P. 0., France, Feb. 3, 1918. , Dear Friend Judson: I just got with much pleasure another bunch of Tribunes today from the home town and believe me I am making it quite mild when I state it was like shaking hands with some frieni from home. It is quite funny you know now how one never appreciates a town like ours until be gets away from it, and can’t get back when he gets that homy feeling. The old town is not very large, it hasn’t every convenience of an up-to-date town, but believe me Jud, I’d gladly give my next six months pay just to be back and stick my feet under a certain table out in the west end and say, “bring out the fatted dalf,” or words to that effect I came to France on the first boat to arrive here and landed With the first detachment, also helped pitch the. first American Camp in France. That has been more than seven months ago and life has not been all sunshine and roses either but it has s'hown me that much, that the longer one stays in France or any other warring country the more he learns to appreciate “the dear old U. J 3. A.”

And U. S. A. to me means Francesville. I often thought that everyone there knew the other fellow’s business better than he did but since I have been out where every man looks out for hjmself with no one to care whether he falls or stays up, that, after all the best place is where they talk about your good qualities, aftfer you’re dead if they don’t while you are alive, and you learn to see that the people are- not trying to butt in your business but are only being neighborly. So I’ve got a mighty warm spot in my heart for old Francesville and I’m not alone in my sentiment erither. You probably know Mr. Hughes, who js with the Field Artillery “somewhere in France.” Well, while I was sanitary inspector of a certain camp I had a i detail of some 20 or 30 men report to me each momdng and who should I meet one morning but Hughes. Well he came somewhat latter than I but he was decidedly a second to my sentiments, not that I do not respect and admire the French for I do. They are brave, courageous people and have stood their hard knocks and bumbs like the heroes they are, but France is not America. They don’t speak American and they don’t have American eats. There you have it in a nut shell. Don’t put me down as a “growler” for I’m not, this old army will make ta man of a fellow if there’s any foundation to work on and not a grumbling kind of a man either. But the only way a fellow knows that they are thinking about him is to get a letter now and then telling him so. Here we lose track of time by days and months, but we liye from ’one mail to another. So just do me a favor and express my thanks for the many remembrances from the old town I got the letters saying they were sending 14 different packages, T hr.ve received four of the fourteen and consider myself very i lucky in that I got the letters any way saying they were sent. Every time I see some new work of the Americans. I just feel like there 13 no way left of expressing grattude for the fact that the old Red, White and Blue stands for Your Country and everything you love and hold dear. Fn\ glad we are over here to do our bit. I much prefer to do it here and take what comes to me than to remain on the other side and have to have our country go through what France has. Well Jud I have just about run down so I will close for this time. brco me a line or two now and then. Your friend, CLIFFORD BOULDEN.