The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-11-06
UNDER ENEMY GUNS
SOUTH DAKOTA BOYS TELL OF
EXPERIENCES In FRANCE
AND ELSEWHERE.


locomotive letting off steam"
Thus writes Glare Whitbeck. al
Chamberlain boy, who is serving
with an ambulance corps on the west
ern front In Europe, and who short
time before writing the letter had
been under fire for the first time.
Several German shells" he con-
tinues, burst within 300 yards of us.
1t was not at all pleasant, | assure
you. When we got to the front you
could see the German and French
star shells lighting the no mans
land in flashes of light which last
for minute or so. 1t was weird
The noise of the shells overhead was
continuous. and the thunder of the
French guns near us was deafening.
We slept in a dugout quite safely
The gunfire died out toward morn
ing and We caught few fitful mo-
ments of sleep. Things were what
they call quiet that day, only a few
shells passing each hour; so, armed
with gas masks, steel helmets and
cameras, we walked about looking
over the crest of hill above a bury
ing ground. We viewed the boche
trenches. Not a living soul could be
seen. Only the roar of the hidden
guns could be heard, and the eye
could make out lines of brown earth
running in an endless chain before
us. We were given two wounded
men to carry out, so we went down
to the hospital. leaving word for the
relief car to take our place at the
front post. We have bombardment
OF boche airplanes every day 1t
grows old, for one is rarely hit. The
French airmen have a great deal
more nerve than the Germans They
fly sometimes within machine gun
range of the boche trenches"
Lieut.. Brethorst i'm France.
Lieut.. Stephen Brethorst, a Len
nox educator, who enlisted in the Of
ficers' training camp at Fort Smelling
some months ago. and who was given
a commission as lieutenant and sent
to France, is member of the expe-
dictionary force. In letter just re-
ceived from him he describes inci-
dents on the way over, and states
that they now are stationed at
point in France somewhat remote
from the main body of Pershing's
army.
I'VE C50 officers) ;" he writes.
ARE in a fairly large city, where
American troops have never been
seen before. We are many. many
miles away from any of the other
American troops. Hundreds of peo-
pie throughout the streets and show
ers of flowers greet us all along our
march. The French people are quite
demonstrative. and they are certain
ly glad that the American nation has
decided to join them in their terrible
struggle. We are nicely located now
in rooms fitted up for us by the
French, and our work will begin to-
morrow. We will be instructed by
French and Canadian officers"
Jacob A. Wiebel, Lennox boy,
writes from a camp on the Atlantic,
to which the South Dakota soldiers
recently were transferred from the
south Atlantic coast, where they now
are being trained as artillery. He
writes in part as follows:
I'VE are now camping on the
grounds where the Rainbow division
was located before they went across
the Atlantic. You ought to see the
airplanes flying around here. This
afternoon they were almost as thick
as birds. They looked like bunch
of hawks swooping through the air,
and they pull off all kinds of stunts.
such as loop the loop and somer-
sault.' At one time in the afternoon
l counted as many as 10 in the air
at the same time"
At Naval Training station.
Joseph Huss. a Canova young man,
is at naval training station. I'VE
have lots of work" he writes I'VE
work one day and drill the next, and
get six-hour days. Haven't sat down
to table to eat but once since | left,
and that was last Sunday. One
doesn't know when he goes to sea,
but l think the most of us will soon
be called to active service" A later
letter received from him stated that
he had been drawn, with 2SS men,
to proceed to a point on the south
Atlantic coast. Tomorrow. he
writes in his latest letter. we go to
sea for about six or eight weeks.
saw a number of colored armies in
forts. The east is full of army
boy" Huss has been assigned to
duty on one of the most modern bat
tleships of the United States navy
and doubtless will have some excit-
ing experiences during the coming
months.
John Brolander. Britton boy
who enlisted in the United States
marines. writes from training camp
in state on the Atlantic ocean. He
is a member of the Seventy-eighth
company Sixth regiment of marines
His letter is in part as follows:
Part of our regiment has left fol-
France and we are expecting to leave
very soon. The boys are all eager to
go and anxiously waiting for the or
der to pack up and go. We have had
all kinds of drill while here. consist
ing Of trench digging and fighting
sham battles, long hikes, bomb
throwing, bayonet drill and signal
ing, with many different codes
There are number of men out OF