Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-12-14
UNDER FIRE
WauseOn Officer Tells of His First
Experience in the Front Line
Trenches-The First American Sol
diers Killed by Germans.

The following letter from Lieut.. L.
G. Andrews, now with the American
Expeditionary forces in France, is SO
full of interest that we publish it in
its entirety. We feel very grateful to
Mr.. and Mrs. c. E. Andrews for their
generosity in sharing this letter from
their son with the rest of US:
Thursday, Nov. 8, 1917.
Dear Folks:
think shall try and write a few,
having nothing else to do. Very po-
etic.) / am back here to collect my
baggage and expect to leave tomor-
row to report to American headquar-
ters.
l just got back this morning from
the trenches. | had a fine time, al
though it was not all agreeable. l
can say now, however, that l have
seen the real thing, for l was clear
up to the front line trenches, through
shell-ire, mud, rain, and all the rest
of it; slept in dugout, ate in dug
out, and any number of things which
neither space nor the censor will per-
nit me to write.
l think the thing which impressed
me most was what l saw in passing
through the devastated country
through which the Germans have been
forced back. Not a sign of life or
vegetation; whole woods shot down,
with black, naked stumps sticking up
into the air; vast tangled stretches
of barbed wire; ruined villages with
not one single house remaining un-
wrecked; abandoned machinery -
trucks, tanks, graves, cannon - and
along with this the marked graves
all this and much more to suggest
the wanton, unlimited destruction.
The Germans got their first Amer
leans the other day during a raid
three killed, five wounded, and IL
taken prisoner. l suppose the
"boche" (as the Germans are called)
are delighted, for the kaiser had Of
fered reward and home leave for
the men who took the first American
prisoners, but 1 fancy they will be
meted out due vengeance by the Yam
KEGS one of these days.
Well, to change the subject, sup
pose you will be surprised when
tell you that l weigh more than
ever have before. l now measure up
to 140 pounds, and am getting tight
in my clothes. l am sure am going
to need all the fat 1 can put on tt
keep out the cold this winter.
Some of the fellows had mail from
home saying that their folks had re
ceived their first letters from ove1
here. l do hope to get letter from
you soon, saying the same thing.
= l don't know of much else to write
Hope you are all quite well and tina
everything is going fine and dandy
Day before yesterday was electio
| day, but l did not vote; saw the re
suits of the New York election in tn
| paper today.
Say hello to every one for me; te
them that we are all in the best G
spirits and urge them to write to MI
From Sonny,
1t. L. G. ANDREWS,
, Inf. Unassigned.
A. E. F., France. (Via New York
In regard to the three American
killed, mentioned in the foregoin
letter, we quote from a letter fro
Lieut.. Paul W. Austin of Toledo, VIII
in letter home, refers to the ma
ter as follows:
II Our troops are in line. Mr.. Bocl
pulled off "coup de main" on o.
regiment. / went up the morni1
after and saw three American 81
diers lying dead in the trenches.
brought the war close home.
The day following, l was told
. direct the burial of three men, b
found that the French had tax
= over the ceremonies. However,
had to search the bodies for pe
sonal effects and found a lett
from the sweetheart of one of t
men, in which she mentioned HI
nice it would be to get marri
after the war. 1t certainly cut de
and, believe me, put fighting spi
in our men.
The ceremonies were beautiful a
impressive. French and Unit
States soldiers attended.
The customary volley was fir
and taps blown. The blue on t
flag never looked bluer to me, r
the stripes redder than on that d;
1t was an honor to take part in
burial of the first United Stat
= soldiers killed in the great war