Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1918 — LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS

Richard Heck Writes Interesting Letter From “Over There.” William Beck of Rensselaer received an interesting letter a few days ago from his brother, Richard, who is with a base hospital unit in France: France, Oct. 3, 1918. Dear Brother Will: —I received your letter and was very glad to hoar from you and that all at home are well. I also received a letter from Rosa and Mary. I am still feeling fine as ever and am healthier, stronger and weigh more than I ever did in my life. I suppose you had to register for the draft since the extension of the age limit; but I don't suppose you will ever get over here for there Is plenty of work for men of your trade at home. In fact, I don’t think many of the last registration will get over here because, from the way the boys have th® Huns on the run now and with Bulgaria already out of It and a couple more to follow soon, it will soon be over. It didn’t take long to turn the tables after our wild “Yanks” were turned loose on th® Dutch. The French and here say the only trouble with the “Yanks” is that “they never want to stop, and don’t know how to retreat and refuse to learn how.” Our boys believe In finishing thia fuss up In a hurry and getting back to God’s country. About the most pleasant duty I

have had since coming to France happened on September 10, when I was notified to take charge of six of our men and take them on a vacation for seven days, not counting days traveling. We went to the department of Savoy, located in the corner where France, Italy and Switzerland meet. It was the most ■wonderful trip I ever had. We •were stationed in a beautiful hotel Up in the Alps mountains and I climbed mountains and ate grapes out of the wonderful mountainside vineyards and picked English walnuts and figs off the trees. The tops of the mountains around us were covered with snow the year around and from my hotel window I could see Mt. Blanc in Switzerland. It is the highest jieak In Europe. It looked to be close, but we were about 15 miles from it. The road past our hotel was built by the Romans and was used by Hannibal when he crossed the Alps. On the tops of six mountains around us were the ruins of six chapels, built in the time of the Crusades, and it was to the e chapels the Crusaders came on pil-. grimages before going to battle with the heathens. 1 also visited the miraculous statue of Notre Dame de Myrans. It is dres-ed in a pure spun gold robe, set with many priceless jewels and i> ti.«scene of many pilgrimages and miraculous cures, as evidenced i>F the many crutches, canes ahd~’Tffb--lets of thanksgiving which adoin the walls of the chapel. The -r enery was the most beautiful I ever dreamed of and everything bad Some interesting historical fact connected with it. On the return trip I spent a dav and a night in Lyons, the second city of France. I crossed the new “President Wilson” bridge ov<r the beautiful Rhine river and visited the church of Notre Dame de Fouviere and went up in the tower 300 feet high, from which I could still see Mt. Blanc, 150 miles away. This church is the most beautiful I ever saw. It contains 30 altars and six pictures about 50 feet square-’ made of mosaic, which is little one-half inch squares of marble of all colors set in masonry to form pictures. This trip was worth thousands to me, and Uncle Sam paid every cent of the expenses. We were away twelve days and I was glad to get back to the company, as this place is like home to me now. I am working in the mess office at present while our mess officer is a little under the weather. Am also in charge of our largest kitchen and our barracks. Have plenty of things to look after, but enjoy it. Best regards to all at home and write often. Please show this to mother and Rosa, too, as there isn’t much to write at a time. Answer soon. Your brother, DICKIE. Sergt. Richard Beck, Base Hospital No. 32, A. P. O. 732, Am. E. F.

Paul Worland Has Been Right W’here the Bullets Sing. Mr. and Mrs. David Worland received the following very interesting letter from their son Paul a few days ago: October 14, 1818. Dear Dad: —During the last few days I have sent several letters back home but they were more for the purpose of keping in touch ■with you than to give any news. Up to yesterday artillery activity with us had been such that to write a lengthy letter was impossible. Now, however, because Of the enemy’s retreat, we are Considerably back of the foremost lines and I can write with better chance of being undisturbed. In the present drive I have been with Battery A, whose mission has been to destroy jnachine gun nests. I have had many experiences—some have been more than inter-esting—-but as I write they seem to cool off considerably. Ten days ago we moved into our first and anost dangerous position. The site for the guns was the crest of a high hill, under direct observation and within half a mil* of the enemy lines. As long as I live .1 will remember that trip up that steep slope on our way to the top. We had left the infantry in our rear. We worked

fast when we reached the crest of the hill. The caissons unloaded amunition and were gone while the gun’s squads dug in the trail of the two guns. I doubt if two minutes had passed when the Germans turned their artillery on us, likewise we turned ours on them. Until one has been in a like duel the sensations one feels cannot be understood nor described. The Germans, as the seconds went by improved both range and deflection until t seemed almost suicide to remain at our guns, hut we stayed wi»h tfeea 1 until the iast shell was fired then we went for cover. After I had taken care of those who* were wounded and the I shelling of our guns had stopped I we went up to look at the shell holes and believe me they were there and lots of them. It is no wonder we had dirt sprayed down our necks, in our eyes and faces. It is a wonder that that was all. We took up several other positions but they were farther back and consequently safer and less interesting but that could not last and once more we went up very close to te lines with snipert again a- cur target. This time we approached our position to be ov-r level , ground; We were under j constant shell fire on our way up ; • the - i? - firing data was poor and r. r?t of their shells : broke on our left flank.. Ju-t to ’ our'left : in- An 'c.nen field wher • the i shells w<- c rating I saw three rabbits. Those rabbits wanted to ■get under : cover arid they started -In —4fer*»? dUfrrent ways to do it Every one was turned around by shots from the German .artillery. They, did : finally scam per awa;> unhurt but likely scared nearly to death. If they continue to j live in this section of France they will be apt to. thinks new hunting laws have taken effect or that - there -are a' dot of outlaws. The other day we were occupying a position which was well concealed. We had been there two days and had drawn no fire except a few German shells fired at random. But good things do not last and towards dvening an epemy plane came over us and discovered us in spite of our camouflagtie. This Dutchman evidently had a brother in the service for shortly be came back with a second plane. I They came down very low before we could see if they were Dut -h and poked out their machine guns. At first all I could hear was the “rat-tat-tat" of the guns, but _n a moment it got closer home and I ' could hear the whiz of the bullets. They came even closer and I could hear the “whing” break off as the bullets buried themselves in the ground by my side. When an enemy plane is over head every One is expected to stand fast wherever he is< The theory is that a moving plane will thina you are some native shrub and ‘wont fire. The theory as sound but when you hold up your end of the scheme by standing fast, Impersonating a young tree, you don’t expect to hear any “rat-tat-tat” from above. When you do /hear jR7 you try to get into as small a package as possible. Hugh Allen of our medical detachment, and myself were away from our outfit for a night and had no blankets. We found a dugout sufficiently covered to keep out the rain, so we decided to spend the night there. It was elose to the enemy lines and in the event of a successful slight counter attack we might up in Germany. We were warned of this by some dough-boys, but the chance " that we would be, taken prisoners seenjed so remote and the accommodatiidns of the dugout looked so good we made our bunk in one of rise gangways, for it was wet at the bottom, Allen is a light sleeper so I went to sleep at once trusting to luck and him to wake me in event of an attack by gas or a counter attack, I don’t know just how many houra I slept but it igas well into the night when Allen kicked me in the side. 1 was awakened so suddenly and gas. wag on my mind, I imagined 1 could smell it, that before I cjujld have a second thought I had my mask on. I was wide awake then and looked to see where Allen Was. He had run down the gang plank toward the bottom and I saw a Ight. I knew there was no gas then but somebody, possibly Germans, was coming Tn. Allen called out “who is that?” but no answer. When

there was no answer and when the light and the party came closer 1 was convinced and so was Allen that the Germans must have counter attacked. Allen got out a small pistol—l had none—and I saw that I had some one to stay with me. There was only one thing I could think of and that was “halt.” I took a big deep breath and in my loudest voice I yelled, “Halt!” Allen fired his pistol once for emphasis, and that advancing party sure did stop. Stop is no word ’for it —they “halted.’’ The gangway they were on was too slippery for such a sudden stop and too steep and Consequently they fell and stumbled until they reached the bottom where we were. They rolled in the mud and watei at the bottom of the dugout and like us they figured they too were dealing with Germans. These lads, four of them, were Americans, and when they finally did discover that we were friends they were tickled to death, but so was I. There are many interesting stories, but like I said earlier, cool off with the telling. Everything looks most favorable for an early victory, but still there is a possibility of much fighting yet. With the good feed we get it' is not so hard but that we are all willing to wait until we can dictate terms of peace. Nearly every one has said something about the Y. M. C. A., the K. of C. or the Red Cross. 1 could write a book about them myself but it would not all be favorable to some. The American Red Cross, to my mind is the only organization for the men in France and they sure are of great service. If I was able to contribute to war activities I would choose the Red Cross as the branch where my money would do the most good. Closing now for today, I remain as ever, your loving son, PAUL.

Homer Fisher of Kankakee Township Writes Home. F. W. Fisher has received the following letter from his son Homer who went overseas recently with the buneju of soldier boys from Camp Shelby: Somewhere in France, Sunday Oct. 6 1918 Dear Father and All:—This is the first Sunday since leaving the U. S. that it hasn’t rained, so will do some writing this a. m. he received mail yesterday, the first since leaving and Jt was surely appreciated by all. Received letter from Harriet, Orville and yours. Have intended writing be fore but the trip, change in the climate pUt us mostly on the bum, so there was very little writing done. Everything is different here and for a long time it has been hard to get everything that was needed, A small commissary, each having a chance to draw something, are trying to get things so we can buy anything we wish, but that will take time. r Have had to drill much harder here than over there, but the quicker we get in line the better the way the ~apers read we are getting good results. Everything here is much farther behind than I expected it to be. They say that they are up with the times and that we are fifty years ahead of them, but I think we are farther than that. The farming here is mostly done with oxen. No wagons, but use the heavy carts. Their fields are mostly small and crops are mainly beets, vineyards, alfalfa, wheat and tobacco. All buildings are stone, barns, houses and everything built together. TJheyt |have /plenty! jof stone here and good roads, but there are not many autos, except those belonging to the U. S. It was quite cool here Wednesday and they had a heavy frost. By the way the inhabitants talk it doesn't get very cold here, as they say it hasn't snowed here for thirteen years. But the temperature here at present is as cool as we have it at this time of the year. They talk nothing but French, so it is pretty hard to understand each other. No, I haven’t received anything from the Red Cross and don't know whether they are received by the person they are sent to. Paper is rather scarce, so will close for this time. Am getting along O. K. and am in hopes that we get together toward the front soon. Love to all. Write when you can

and let me know Where Warren is. PVT. H. FISHER. Co. D, 327 M. G. Bn., A. P. O. 905, American E. F., France.