Willmar tribune., 1917-08-15
LEWIS M. AALVoRSoN
mOther.)
Fortress Monroe. Virginia.

mOther.)
Fortress Monroe, Virginia,
Aug. 9, 1917.
Am getting used to this place now
and the longer stay, the better like
it. l work eight hours a day, doing
everything from shoveling coal to
guard work. 1 also go out on the boat
and lay mines just for practice work.
1t is sure interesting; lot of work
juggling cables, but don't mind that
THERE'S lot to mine planting.
1 also have target practice with the
three inch guns. l am Number 2. 1
load the gun. Sure have to put them
in in hurry. The officers training
school has been shooting with the ten
and twelve inch guns for about three
days and the noise makes man deaf.
They shoot at targets two and three
miles away and make pretty many
hits for bunch of new ones
am going to work in the balloon
field tomorrow, so l can see how ba-
looms are put up. The aeroplane
school is not far from here and all
the aerOplanes come over and fly over
the bay. There is always two or
three up every day. Sunday morning
I saw Frenchman loop the loop
twenty-five times. They say it was
the record breaker. It just seemed
like he would roll down from the sky.
They do all kinds of stunts in the air.
I used to almost break my neck look
ing at them, but it's getting so COM
mon now, I never pay any attention
to- them.
There were eleven battleships in
the bay yesterday and they sure were
big ones. There were also some Eng
lish ones too.
Chester N, Enoch Hoglund and
were over to Newport News last Sun
day afternoon and went thru the ship
yards there. Sure was interesting.
Saw the new battleship Mississippi
which, after completion will be the
largest dreadnaught in the world. We
also saw the large dry docks and one
of the new Standard Oil Company's
new tank steamers. It is not finished
yet but it looks just like big tank
with smoke stack on.
AS soon as get the pictures I took,
will send some home. Only took a
few, as did not have any more films
Will take good ones after payday.
All the Willmar boys are going to
leave here pretty soon, so I'll be
alone again. Our company stays in
U. S., so don't think I'll get chance
to 60 to France with the boys.
They are figuring on sending us
down to Charlestown, S. c., pretty
soon to put in some submarine nets
, as understand there, or either New
York.
We sure are having some nice COO
: weather here, now. A nice breeze haE
been blowing in off the bay for fou1
days.
< Wasrin swimming today but dom
t like salt water and there are too higl
e waves. The waves were five fee
r high today. The jelly fish are ,
fright, too. They have long string
on and every time you hit the strings
it stings and burns for about tw
hours afterwards. They look just lik
a big chunk of apple jelly with string
on. They fall all to pieces when tai
en- out of the water. Crabs bother
fellow pretty much also.
L. M. HALVORSON.
Extracts of letter to George Br,
gren).
III Fort Grant, C. z,
July 28th, 1911
The first Sunday after pay day; al
going to put in for pass to go owe
to the jungles. If don't get it,
cannot go. We have pass to tow
down here.
Will be learning how to dig trenche
pretty soon. I feel as tho didn't Cal
whether we are sent to France or no
but perhaps would feel different il v
are sent. We may get the chance
go over to greet the Germans in
few charges but its hard to tell. y
Time to retreat and mess so go<
night for this time. 4--
JOE FELEEN.