Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1919 — LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS

ffohn Worland Visits Many of the Battlefields in France. The following letter was written by John Worland to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. Worland and tells of his experiences in his visit to many battlefields: Langeres, France, April 20, ’l9. Dear folks: Just returned last evening from jny trip to the front. It sure was a great experience and well worth seeing. It’s nice to get away from camp for a while but it’s just like coming home to come back; a fellow sure does miss the company and his mail. I had sort of an unlimited pass and was permitted to go just about as I pleased. I was from one extremity to the other of the western front, and visited the towns of Nancy, St. Mihiel, Verdum, Rheirns, Chateau Thierry, Amiens, Albert, Lillie and Ypres. Every town invaded by the Germans is a wreck with but few exceptions. Verdun is perhaps the wont, not the city itself, but it’s battlefields. For 93 days the Germans tried to take the city but never did. Barrages lasting for days were sent ever from each side, and for miles around there isn’t a spot large enough to lay your hat on that hasn’t been shelled. Before the war little villages and timber covered the hills surrounding Ft. Doumont, but now you see but few traces of either. 'Two or three villages in particular were so leveled that you would never know they were there if it wasn’t for the crumbled you see lying

about. The battlefields practically remains the same as the day the armistice was signed, in fact, they are ■till burying the dead. Wreckage of tanks, airplanes and railroads are scattered over the fields. Rifles, hand grenades, bayonets, duds and clothing are lying everywhere in quantity. I spent almost a day tramping the fields and hunting souvenirs. I had the good fortune of getting to go through the Citadel and Ft. Doumont. They are sort of like skyscrapers, except that they go down instead of up. Each have about 8 or 10 floors in them. I wouldn’t venture to estimate their floor space, ■.but each floor can be measured in acres. They are electric-lighted, equipped with elevators, bakeries, hospitals, sleeping quarters, ammunition pits, horse-drawn railroads and everything necessary for the maintenance of a fort From Verdun I went to Rheims, which isSi total wreck, excepting the Cathedral which is the largest in France. It still stands ana is not near the wreck which I was informed it was. It can be repaired and is in course of reconstruction now, but it probably will take enough money to repair it as it would to build a new one. Fifteen shells of all caliber up to 380 m hit the Cathedral but only the larger ones did the real damage. Several large shells which failed to explode are still to be seen lying around. For five hours the furniture, altars and wood work burned, lighting the country for miles around. From Rheims I went to Chateau Thierry, Amiens, Albert and Lillie. All of these places are shelled, but it is impossible to tell of each of them. Lillie is the city which the Germans captured in 1914 and took so many girls out of. Many of the people never had time to leave and were under German rule for four years. I got to talk to many of them. Ypres, which is up in Belgium, is probably the most desolate looking of all, perhaps that was because it was raining most of the time I was there and I had no place to stay. There isn’t a case or hotel in the town, in fact, I don’t think there is one building there standing. I stayed over night in an old barracks with some English soldiers. The moon came out later and it sure did make things look lonesome as it shown through the spires and chimneys still standing. Not far from us I saw the largest cemetery I’ve ever seen, being occupied mostly by English soldiers. The battlefields there were almost as bad as at Verdun. A person could write a great deal about this but I have to sort of divide my time. I only have nine more letters to answer, so will turn to another subject for a while. We are still wondering when we will get to go home. It is reported that this camp is to close up within a month six weeks, but nothing certain about it that I know of. From what we can hear everybody but our outfit is going to an embarkation camp, so if it keeps up long enough our well deserved turn is bound to come around some time. I am glad you started papers for my release for it looks as if wte would have a lifetime job if you didn’t do something. Fellows are going home every day for all different reasons, but mostly for one or two reasons either by “gold-bricking”, (pretended sickness) or through papers started from the States. The “Gold-brick-ers” are leading though. About onesixth of my company have already started or arrived home and fully that many more are trying to get out. Must close now, hoping and waiting that I soon get my discharge and thanking you for your eflfort, I am, Your loving son, John.