The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1918-07-10
Lieutenant ''Bub''
Writes of War
OLIVER STEELE WRITES SIS
TER; EXTRACT TAKEN FROM
HIS LETTER

On Active Service
A. E. F., June 13,
1918.
Dear Addie: I wonder if | can't
show you how much I appreciate
your letters by writing you a really
long letter for once. Al any rate l
shall try tonight.
l wish you could see .his place. 1t
is beautiful and I know you would
be very enthusiastic about it. I am
going to try to tell you about it just
to show you that war is1't all hell.
To begin with we are only few xii
ometers from the front line in sup
port position. The town we are To-
Gated in is entirely deserted by civil
lians and the two companies and en-
gineer outfit have the pick of billets
We Ct. Company officers) have our
quarters in an old chauteau that has
only been partly shot up. We have
| a big kitchen and dining room where
we get our meals and we each have
a separate room. We could easily
have suite but our seventy pounds
of baggage would hardly furnish
suite. i *
Furthermore we have electric lights,
There is an old mill here with all the
material and waterpower for a plant,
and our engineers rugged it up, for
they needed electricity in the shop
here. My platoon is quartered in
what used to be a hotel It is funny
to hear them tell about their rooms
and about the rotten service. Some
of them even want the elevator
started. You see they naturally
grumble for they've slept in some Of
the best haymows in France for the
past eight months. And now some
Of them even have to sleep on fea-
Their beds which were left by the
French when they pulled out rather
hastily one morning nearly four
years ago. |
Beside each billet we have a nice
little dugout. When Hun-ey begins
putting 'em over we change locations
for quarters that are little more
cramped but at the same time more
Now does all this
sound like anything you have i'm
agined us in? 1t is not all like this
but little bit of this every now and
then makes the rougher spots seem
easier to get over.
That is what makes an officers joo
so interesting, for he has to know
what kind CT fellows they are and
the study brings out some mighty odd
traits. In some fellows this life
brings out the very best in them
and in a very, very few it brings out
about the worst. One thing, how
ever, it does away with selfshness to
a large extent. These men will do
anything for each other and share
anything they have. For instance,
saw this happen il March
after we came out of the trenches the
first time. The mems extra clothing
was stored behind the lines and ev-
eryone came out pretty we'll stocked
up with ''cooties-" One fellow was
in such shape that he threw away
his only suit of underwear. Then it
turned as cold as the deuce and his
''bunkie" gave him half of his suit.
So I suppose they were each half
warm.
l forgot to tell you of the church
in this town. 1t is badly shot up
and it seems a shame for it was
very beautiful building. l was inside
yesterday and the sight of the place
rather made one want revenge in
some way, as though it were a per-
sonal wrong. The altar was COM
pletely smashed and out of seventeen
statue groupings depicting the Life
IF Christ, not one was untouched
pieces of shell had carried away
part of each one. Then on the wall
was life-sized crucifix. This was
touched in only one spot where were
portrayed the blood stains from the
spear which was thrust into His body
while on the cross. 1t almost seemed
ike the crucifixion of Christ. : : $
Pub