Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1918 — LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS

Richard Beck Writes His Brother From France. Richard Beck, who is with the American forces in France, writes his brother. Will, of Rensselaer, as follows: France, March *l4, 1918. Dear brother Will:—— Received your letter of February 13 day before yesterday, and was sure glad to hear from you, as !t was the first letter 1 had from any of our family. I have never hearo from Rosa yet, and I wrote her the same time 1 did my first letter to Barbara, and 1 have heard from Barbara twice. How is mother and everyone at home? I hope they and you are all as well as I am, for I never felt better in my life, and after three months here it begins to seem like home. We are in a beautiful summer resort town in the mountains of France. We are in no danger from- the firing line, although we can hear the big guns rumbling every day. This country is all war, and we sure see soitie interesting sights. I have seen guns over here that you could crawl through, and vou could set one of them on the Kankakee river and blow Rensselaer off the map in two or three

shots. There is a French officer here who is a special friend of mine, and tJeing with him so much I have learned quite a little French, so much that on several occasions 1 have acted as interpreter between our men and French people. ‘He has taken me with him to several homes, and they, certainly do treat

one royally. We had our picture taken together, and I am sending one home. I sure will be glad to get those papers from you; they have not arrived yet, but the second class mail travels slower than letters. We get Indianapolis papers here, and every day we get European editions of Chicago and New York piFpers, besides lots of (magazines from the Red Cros% but of course home papers are always the most interesting. We have a Y. M. C. A. here, where we can buy American tobacco and cigarets. cakes, candy, etc. It sure is fine to have the “Y” here. Before it was established we had to put up with this French stuff, when we could get it, and it is rotten, and- almost prohibitive in price. We also have moving pictures at the ”Y” four nights a week, and every Wednesday evening a band concert in the beautiful .park here. It is a’ real American band, too, made up from our company and another of the same kind, which is located here. They have about twenty or twenty-four instruments.

The weather here is beautiful now. They are planting gardens, and farmers have been plowing for a month. I see you had a terrible winter. We had a few pretty cold days here, but most of the time it was very mild. Warm enough to go without an overcoat, a great deal of the time. I got another letter from Father Condon at the college the same day I got yours. I was made a sergeant the 18th of February, and aln now in charge of the kitchens of three large hotels, used as hospitals, and also the officers’ mess. It means a very sub stantial increase in pay for me, too. I have -a dandy room to sleep in. too. A fellow who lived next door to me for a while in Lebanon rooms with me. We have all the comforts of home, except our families. I don’t have any baking to do, as we, get all our bread from an American base bakeny.

We get a seven-day furlough every four months, and we will have one coming the latter part of April. We can go to Aix-Laßains, which is in the Alps mountains in the corner of France, Italy and Switzerland. I am anxious to go. Well, dear brother, I must close. i Let the folks at home j-ead this. Tell mother not to worry a bit about me for I am all O. K. Love to Etta, Cecelia and all at home. SERGT. RICHARD BECK, ’ y Base Hospital No. 32, Am. Ex. Forces, via New York. From the Wilbur Wright Field at Dayton, Ohio. George M. Babcock, who had been taking machine gun training at Utica, New, York, and was transferred with others, to the the Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, a few days ago, writes home from the latter place, as follows: Wilbur Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. April 15, 1918. Well, we landed here O. K. last evening. We got into Dayton about 10 o’clock yesterday morning, having left Utica at 10:30 the night before. We had a t fine Pullman and the government allowed us >2 for eating on the way

i down. We looked over the town yesterday afternoon and went to a 1 show—the best vaudeville we had ' seen since joining the army. Dayton is a city of about IM.GGG and about twice the size of Utiea. IWe are located out eleven miles 'from the city. But it is quite a 1 pretty place here, and warmer than in New York state. There are «everal planes here, and we have heard that quite a number of new men [will be transferred to this place to learn machine guns. There is an interurban line connecting us with either Dayton or Springfield. The latter city 4s in plain sight from a point on the way out here. I We have heard from the fellows of a detachment that left Utica for this place a week before we did, that we would have only a couple weeks’ schooling here, learning the English version of the Lewis gun, and then would be shipped to j some other point as instructors or aerial gunners. For seeing the. United States I don’t believe any branch of the service can compare] with the aviation section of the signal corps. A bunch left here, yesterday for Detroit, Michigan.] near w’hich is located Camp Mount I Clemens. We received our pay just before leaving Utica for last month, and along with a refund on ott board bill added $16.53 to my exchequer, which helped greatly. ~ Here we have sealed, electric lighted and steam heated barracks, with toilet and bath connected and it only being, necessary to take a few steps when going to the mess hall. The —* hotel is a piker compared to an army mess hall when it comes to the eats. I will try to find out about getting home, but doubt if it is possible, just now. Will write again so oh. Please do likewise. ,

GEORGE.