The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-20
JIM LYNCH DRIVING AMBULANCE,
Goddard Seminary Boy Is Seeing Some
Strange Sights at the Front.


"Jim" Lynch has turned up with the
American ambulance in France, and stu.
dents of Goddard seminary and Others
who knew him on the hilltop last year
/ will be interested in the characteristic
letter which Charles l.. Hoernle of the
faculty received from his protege yester.
day. "Jim,' or James L. Lynch, as his
name appears on the records at Goddard,
had future ahead of him in the base
ball world when be left Goddard last
spring to sign up with the Chicago Cubs
in the National league but the fever to
be 'oyer there" got him in the summer.
His letter, perhaps, is one of the most
vivid epistles that has come back to
Barre from the far flung battle front of
the allies in France. He writes Coach
Hoernle as follows, dating his letter Nov.
10:
Dear Charlie: Naturally this letter, if
you ever receive it, will bring you great
surprise. ] was glancing through Bos-
ton paper over here and ran across one
of your football games with Colby acad-
emy, who, to my sorrow, handed the boys
something. ! certainly wish were back
there. | would appreciate it in COMPARE
son to this life.
When you receive this letter | shall
have spent my third month over here. II
came over in September and have been
at the front about month and one half,
and | certainly have had some expert
ences. Before go any further want TO
inform you of my location, and to whom
am attached. | am in the American
ambulance service, section Samtaire 66, |
under the auspices of the French govern |
ment. In the first place one is attached !
to division, and wherever that division |
goes, you go with it. A division stays, |
as general rule, in the trenches about |
three weeks, They then 90 on what the |
French term 'enreps,' or rest, for three
weeks, and they enjoy it to the utmost.
Believe me, the recess comes in handy. I
At the front, that is while we are in ac-
ton, we generally locate in some town
which has been shot to pieces about a
mile and half from the lines, and
make that our headquarters.
From there we go up to the poste de
secours and catry the besses (wounded) 4
10 nearby hospital. One drives his car,
excuse me, Ford, at night mostly and
lights are absolutely prohibited. You
an get in some tough places generally,
t is SO foggy at night you can't see at
Ill and you have to keep in low all the !
way, sometimes for two or three miles. {
Quite often the sBoche,' as the French /
all the Germans. shell the posts and if {
'ou have wounded in your ear you have q
o get them in some safe place before !
-ou can look out for yourself. Two of i
he boys had their ambulances shot to
eces. but luckily they happened to be
n "abbies" tdugoutsl.
One Sunday two of the boys and ven 4
lmsd up to the trenches and a French
fficer took us all through them. The
ermans had retreated day before and
re went down to their second line. ! q
hall never forget the sights | saw on G
hat occasion. The traps set by the =
[uns were awful. You couldn't touch q
nything. as il might lead to destruction. Z
ou could hear the shells coming up from !
le enemys guns IA is the werdest =
Disc / ever heard They screeeh like n
,mething you can't imagine. One of y
rem came about 10 feet from us. We 8
,uld hear it, but could not get down in y y
me, and it knocked dirt all over us. ! =
rtainly was glad to get back to our
ntonments and get in my ambulance y
I'd sleep. | was tired, but relieved. u
You people over there in the states
mt realize what this war means. 1t is ny
yful You couldn't possibly imagine it a. a.
Hess you saw it with your own eyes ~
ID even then you could hardly realize III
You should hear one of the French :;
rrage fires just once. II is used just w.
fore an attack One certainly mag e.
es some very peculiar things All you i'
n hear is the perpetual noise of guns,
d we are always near it, ANY man
10 goes through ii is certainly due
ervthing that is coming to him. n
Well Charlie, could write a lot more,
{ supper is calling me- so I'll close,
sbing you the best of success with +.
ur teams and hoping you and DIR. Hol- 49,
ter are enjoying the best of health, I r
main. James L. Lynch,