New Britain herald., 1917-11-16
YANKEE CHEER FOR AMBULANCE DRIVERS
American Soldiers Greet Country
 men on Brand Of Mercy

|
 H. Buell., who is "somewhere il f France" helping to transport wound
 ed soldiers from the battletields to the 1 hospitals. he tells of the reception
 and the effusive greeting rendered the
 ambulance section with which he is
 connected, by the French people
 young and old, while they were CT
 repos and staying at the small viii
 lages behind the front
 Somewhere in France September 16. We are to spend part of our reDos
 Tn this fine old-fashioned village. It
 IS great to be away from the boom
 ing of the cannon and to see the green
 grass and trees with leaves on them.
 will tell you some of the events
 since leaving Bar-le-Duc:
 we are in the LouVaino district since leaving Bar-l Due we drov, through the most wonderful country, many fruit trees which of course we
 stopped to visit. In every village We
 round United States troops quarteretl. NO United States troops have been in acton yet. We got great welcome Ihey would cheer every car we went by, and there were twenty-five cars in string. They gave LIS Dlums, grapes and apples. It was great 10
 see some Americans again.
 Away from the front the roads are me, all of them, not just a few main
 roads like in the States. Thee are j,, +1,
 lnge, but about five miles from here
 there is an aviation camp. and thcv
 come in every Sunday, so we expect
 to see them today.
 When we drove into the village
 flocks of little children came out to
 greet us. They climbed all over s.
 hugged us and when we left our cars
 would walk along holding our hands and coats. I went up the street with two holding my hands and then four or five more strung out in line hold ing each others hands. We took up the whole street. I had almonds in my pockets. threw them to see them scramble for them. I passed out some to those who did not get any in the scramble. Some little girls about ten years old brought me. some grapes a while ago. Some boys brought me some apples. The children hang around us all the time. They get tired sometimes. When we tell them to beat it they do so at once. They mind wonderfully well. A bunch of American children would torment the life out of you. We get a warm recep- tion from young and old. We have quarters in a dance hall. As it was pretty crowded some of us went out to find separate rooms. Dix and I and another fellow found good room for one franc day. A franc is about 20 cents and that makes it about seven cents apiece a day. It is very small room with one bed in 1t, so two of us brought in broncards and slept on them. The woman who let us have the room has had a husband and two sons killed in the war. and she still has two sons in the army. She lives in two basement rooms, stone floors and walls, just like a cellar. She and two small children sleep in one bed and live in the same room. We three have the other room. She said that because we were Americans coming over here to help France, we could have the room. The same spirit pre- walls all over France. The French Will Qo anytnlnE TOT an American. They look on us as their salvation from the Boche. This morning I had to work on my car a bit and wash it. It Is about 3 D. m. You people are probably in bed, as it is about 8 a. m. where you are. I am lying in a bron- card in my car writing this.
 Ut is very warm today. The little
 children hang around us all the time
 There are six or eight climbing all
 over the car now. They are always
 singing to us. We had about 100
 small paper United States flags that
 we passed out this morning. When
 the news spread the children came
 running from all directions just like a flock of chickens being fed. It is fun ny. A little boy just brought me three
 dandy apples. Yesterday we feasted on apples and plums. The trees are alongside the road. There are no fences here, as the government has requisitioned all the land on account of the war, the farms are nearly de- serted. Those that are worked are worked by soldiers. Consequently we can help ourselves to all we see, and, believe me, we sure do it. The early apples are just ripe. All crops are