Milford chronicle., 1918-03-22
DAVID PRUITT IN ITALY
Fosgia, Italy, Camp sud.
Sunday, February 10.
Dear Marshall:

I'm taking it for granted that NV last
letter reached you safely. despite the
submarine activity, and will take up the
trip where so uncerimon!ously left Won
I-Havre, the French seaport
II was about 2.30 a. m. when we arriv-
ed. We Immediately tied up beside a
big troopship that had warped in dock
a short time before. There we stayed
until about S a. m. When breakfast time
came the regulars on board got out their
mess kits and their rations and made a
good meal We cadets, having no mess
kits and no rations. didn't get them out
and didn't make a meal. Instead. We
waited for our officer in charge 20 come
and tell US to go to the ships mess room
for 4 bite He didn't come--for the very
good reason that he hadn't taken the
trouble to get up and see how his men
were faring.
Finally, somebody wheedled a pail OF
tea from the steward. That made our
meal We had no knives no forks, no
bread. We did have one tin cup and TWO
condensed milk tins that served as cups
In this way we had our first meal in
French territory
After disembarking. we marched thru
the town and to the rest camp. which
was quite distance beyond Some Of
the mud on the way was only an inch
! deep-mOst Of 1t ran from three to five
inches.
At last we arrived. In fact about all
7 We had been doing since leaving the
States, was arriving and leavingD The
camp seemed to be much better than the
one at Southampton. 1t may have been
because it was day here. while we arrived
al the latter place at night. The best
feature Of all at Havre was a wash house
| We had an opportunity to wash ourselves
and our clothes an diet me assure you
one thing-we didn't get that opportun-
ity one bit sooner than we needed it,
Also there was a big canteeu where We
could buy real food once more Did we
| load up? 1 should say we did. That first
meal / ate about TWO tons Of biscuits
several cans Of sardnes. cakes and GIN
ger ale. Beer also could be bought if you
wanted it. For some reason. quite a
number Of the fellows did. English beer
doesn't begin to compare with American
$50 I'm todd.
They assigned us to little board ioored
tents-eighJ to each tent. There was one
advantage, however, in being crowded in
as we were. Had there been only two or
three of US we would surely have frozen. |
As on the boat, our officer had neglect !
ed to draw any rations for us and We had |
to rustic" what and how we could |
Nearly all Of US had spent what little |
money we had when we first came to the /
canteen. We managed to borrow the mess
kits of some "Tommies" and get their
cook to serve US with what he had left Z
from the regular meal. I can remember /
only two things we had-bread and /
cheese. 1t stopped the pangs Of hunger, |
tho, so we didn't complain much
The next morning we were routed out |
about four O'Clock. However, instead Of /
marching away with an empty stomach
we were allowed to go to the officers
mess and purchase a breaAdaSt-price .
francs. Lots Of US didn't have that much.
Those who did shared with those who
didn't And eat-we had real bread. real
butter. real tea and real jam. / was as
full as an egg when I had finished. No
wonder, tho. for it was our first real meal
since we had left the boat November 10.
Breakfast finished, we formed and
to one Of the stations in Havre
where we entrained for Paris. Long be-
fore daybreak we had started to that
wonderful city It was a wonderful trip
the most wonderful I had taken thus
far We arrived in the capital Of France
about $50 p. m.
They were not expecting US. No ar
had been made. We couldn't
go to the French barracks as we had
no blankets, no equipment Of any kind.
Very few of US had capital enough to stay
1t hotel Again, however those who
mad divided with those who hadn't. Most
If US stayed at the Grand Hotel Du Pa
villion, the Y. NJ. c. A. headquarters.
This hotel by the way, before the war
had been a German nest of the worst
.ype-a sort Of spy center. The French
Government had taken charge Of ii and
.urned it over to the Y. b. C. A.
We were in Paris from Saturday after
noon until Saturday night A time? There
Bas something going on every minute.
Must tell you of my first attempt to
1se the French tongue. My partner. !
Tommy, from New York. had a friend
n the Medical Corps or the Ambulance
Corps or something. He had his address
10 out we started. We hadn't the slight
st idea Of what TO ask for or where to !
,o-but we started just the same. AS ,
uck would have it, he lived away across
he city from where we were. BY the
ise Of our fingers and our eyes certainly .
ot our tongues, we found the address. >
We also found that he had left for an
ther zone just short time before
That stuck US again. In looking over
he route of the subway we saw a station
lace de Ia Opera. It looked as if it
ught to be the center Of something 50
re headed for it. We found the opera,
lso Cand this interested US far mOre) :
re found barber shop Here one Of
ne most laughable incidents Of the whole $
-ip occurred
Both Tommy and I were very dirty
nd evry much in need Of a good clean
lg. We wanted a shave. massage, hair o
Ut and shampoo. Tommy" got ready II
rst. BY the time he had finished telling "
ie barber what he wanted by means Of p
estures Che looked like a semaphore sig L
Al going at full speed was doubled "
p with laughter And to cap it all. when b.
: was thru, the barber. smiling slightly.
id to him in perfect English. Now