Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-04
LIEUTENANT TELLS OF
TRENCH EXPERIENCES
Was With First Regiment to
Go Into Fighting Against
Huns for U. S.


]. J. Shea and junior member of the
law firm of Shea & Shea. has seen
action in France. In vivid manner he
told of his experiences in the following
letter to his parents:
Dear Folks; Just n little while ago
was waiting for chow time, big
mail came in, and got my first letters
since leaving the States over two
months ago There were six letters,
three from home. The earliest dated
September 26. and so l am quite sure
there is more mail waiting for me
somewhere in France or else In Davy
Jones locker,
II suppose you read of the Ameri-
can troops being in line. l was there.
Got back last night and slept in bed
with my clothes off just as | used to
do In the United States, got cold
bath, 'nr-r-r-' and cold shave and
no supper at all. Today I've been imi-
tating Alice Sit by the Fire Madame
just went on strike and said II
wanted more fire I'd have to furnish
the wood. so my orderly is out rustling
some.
MY stay in line was uneventful. I
could tell you some interesting things.
but suppose they'd be informa don of
military value. The conduct of the
men was fine.
"One of the officers who was in
school with me was wounded. Haven't
seen the list. so don't know whether /
can say who he is
II wasn't particularly close to trou-
BILE myself. l have couple of pieces
of shells which struck pretty close to
me. All they did was tear up the road
a little. / was couple of kilometers
n or
my way to the trenches from a village
In the rear. There were seven shells
III all but one didn't explode. They
were intended for a nearby battery,
but didn't do much damage. The
Bosch seem TO be short of ammunition
in our sector, and saves 1t so that he
can put down barrage when he needs
to. so | considered the seven shells
quite compliment.
Ed Deans bunch are near us and all
the time we wer in the lines | looked
for him. Saw some batteries and
many men of his regiment but not Ed.
! am going to drop him a line and try
to get IN touch with him.
Fred Becker, another Iowa Kappa
Sig is here with Rainbow division.
in what part of France | do not know
There are many others over here. Ono
of the officers of this regiment told
on this side than men of any other
fraternity 1t made me mighty proud
of my bunch.
Have not had any chance to spe-
cial!ze in sniping, but am getting
along quite merrily as company off
Cer. | was second in command of the
company at thc front.
81 am not getting on very fast with
nay French. ! can make myself I'M
a too n -. 4.
wire from French supply depot. and
fresh eggs from the village, but my
grammar is terrible. l billeted n COM
pany, and more than hundred at
tarhed men from other units in a
French village in the dark one night
sometime ago. | went to .he village
In the afternoon. located the billetj
and found out the number Of men
each woald hold Then at night I
!narched them in and billetel them
within 10 minutes. French soldiers
had acquired two of my bllets, so
took over two others and told the
town major. and asked his permission
the next day. The town major is a
person who cannot speak English
whose duty IL is to interpret our
French into the language the French
man speak. assign us billets make us
cut our own wood, and then pay for
X, !
want and make sure he understands.
then when he tells me why / cannot
have it, l tell him I cannot understand
II works fine sometimes.
"The billcte here aren't bad, and the
cookhouses we built ourselves so thev
are clean enough I say we tho I
didn't have anything to do with It. Il
mean Pershing's First division. which
has made few French villages fit to
live in.
Don't know when we go to the line
again. | was mighty proud to be an
officer in the first bunch in. was
transferred as | told you from the first
to the second battalion of this regi-
ment so ] am not with the first bat
talon in, but was with the first regi-
mont IN. We relieved the first bat
talon, other troops relieved us Have
no idea when we go in again, but the
men are ready.
Have new company commander,
n man VINO has just been made cap
tain. The former company commander
has been given a staff job. We will
have two captains and three first lieu
tenants. ] will be the junior officer
While at, the front all but two of us
were detached for special duty. They
Will return shortly and we will have
beaucoup officers.
Dad enclosed Louie Whcelocli S
letter, and that part Of it whicn / could
read was very interesting / will en-
deavor to get away telegram to you
this week. If can't. be it known that
! tried Hope to get leave soon and
so to Paris. Hot baths and every
thing. Oui Out
Love to all.
tom"
Just heard tina. General Pershing
has ordered that we get turkey and
orauherries for Thanksgiving.