The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-12-12


have the stones and dirt fly up on
the roofs of our buildings. One tor
pedo bomb made a hole / 5 feet in
diameter and or feet deep just
back of us. 1t must have cost Kaiser
Din $1,000, but it didn't even scratch
one of u.s.
Last Sunday morning l went owe"
to the Lafayette Esquadrille-thati j,
the most famous flying squadron in
France. Fourteen Americans who
had joined the Foreign Legion are
members Of it. They are about 5
P1niles back of US. Three of the Amer
leans were kind to take two of our
| officers and me through the hangers
Every type of machine was there.
Motors with a speed of 100 miles an
hour and others Of slower type
used for dropping bombs at night
1ney maintain a system Of patrols
along the battle front-4 hours out
of "a for the fast fighting machines
and about the same period for the
bombers The Americans whom
met were among the best flyers in
France. One was Legion of Honor
| mar and the other two had won the
CrGix de Guerre with palm. |
asked them to lunch with the officers
Of The Regiment on Monday. I sent a
g car for them and when the car re,
J turned to camp only two aviators
: were in 1.-THE third man (MacMon :
! igal from San Francisco) went out
: or his patrol at day-break-got into
) "a fight with a German and was
3 killed at an altitude of $4,000 feet.
# The only consolation was that the
= other two men who were flying with
e him got the German. MacMonigal's
l. mother had come from San Francis
o CO to See him-her ship was dock.
p ing at French port at the moment
le he was killed. She was at the fu
= neral yesterday. but just "a hours
x too late to see her SON Some Of on,
; officers went to the funeral and WI
es took fireing squad of ou rsoldiers ant
t a bugler to play taps along with us
10 nave never seen more impressiv
Ie ceremony In an apple orchard be
Of side an ancient chapel squad G
It French soldiers with their rifles \
is present on one side-Our men a
We present" on the other side of
lir wooden coffin draped with an Amer
= itan flag-an Episcopal clergyma
wv who is with the Y M. C.. A. hranc
eo detailed to this regiment read tn
an burial service. The boys mothe
ur stood along side of the coffin-th
10 American officers back of her-th
French soldiers and officers on tn
= opposite side. At the conclusion {
the service our firing squad fired tn
n salute of 8 rounds after which o,
III bugler sounded TAPS" 1 found o,
Ne later that MacM had his clothes a
(S laid out in his tent so as to lose r
= time in coming over to lunch wit
ii me.
Today, the 2Sth of September, g
your birthday card. I like it yel
hI much and have tackled it up aloni
Il side of your photograph in my lit
room (10X15 with . of us in it, "
III are very comfortable. | wish VI
Sl icpuld see our room. Most of the wal
(very thin boards) are covered wi
war maps Our coat hooks are lar
SI spikes. At the so-called entrance '
have two reserved spikes for our 6
masks and steel helmets and for 0
81 automatic revolyers. The decoratio
81 consist of the silk flag l had on 1
ar crossed with the other one y
Il save me. A lantern all shot full
81 scrapnel holes, | got at Nerduno
to bits in the bombardment A be
SI poster | got i'll the ruins OF a CT
up at the front tit has the calenC
II OF 1914 on it-nobody had been
3 that building until l dug this ou
A German belt haversack- ammu
I ton canteen and bayonet l got fr
81 French soldier in the hospital n,
Il by. He had killed the Hun mom
bcfGre he was badly wounded, and
81 apOiogized when he presented
q with the belt with all its trimmin
u He said he had intended to bring
IIiun's rifle and gas mask back
Sl those - - Germans had S
III off his arm before he could coll
them.
81 A few days ago | went up TO
II line with a French officer. 1t wa
II v onderful opportunity to see the
III ldOinps and althoueh | came mrs