The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-08-16
ELM GROVE LAD
WRITES FROM FRANCE
Howard G. Elliott is in Active
Duty Close to Firing
Line

Tna following letter was rece''@a ~
n. Elliott home near Elm Grove 1Foi"
~ ,n Howard. who is IN France;
France. July Il. i''S'
De~x Hother:-I will try to w7te YOU
a tsu lines to let you know that 'u'
we'll and happy and hope ereryoou! -
the Sauna 1 received four letters 1lo'''
VOL, since I wrote to you anu LIZ
49, n mouth and a halt ago ana ! eot
ono from Aunt Jessie Z. wooiu -"
written sooner but could not Ee1 tn','t
csosor,,A and the officers would not IL.
our letters 20 back from the tto''
lines ans no ono got mail very oA'eu
We 1ero IN quiet sector A'A
months and were out for about Ten uaS
- 5-;,I.At eight hours every day while
we were out and then We rooe III i"o.o
,-,,cks for about fourteen hours tn'u
,hcn they showed US in on al ope''
rront. part Of the French were re're-A.,
,,e because there was not any lee'iNH
~ any kind to protect them ana W.
rnen stopped the advance OF the t"t..'' .'
we dug ourselves in to p7otecs >,,..S
80, shrnnnel and machine gun outlets
12,,rton got injured in his shin %
900 ~ shrapncl several weeks ago "''@
he went to a hospital ana nav
heard from him yet I have eSSap
|ar from shrapnel and gas. was 49,
f,rty feet behind Foster when ne 80
tn;u,ed We were carrying AMMUNITION
- -he front lines at the time II nap
,,aned We had light packs on WIN on.
r,asa reor in the haversack ana lheS
ro,.ad tuo of us, ono fellows name Wa
p.s,n from Charleston. W. Va. ana lie
o,her fellow was myself. a. piece Va
shetl struck my haversack a g!anclns
h,n,y and tore q big hole in II ana IL my
,ness pan hadn't been in my pace ~.
shrnnel would have hit my SnoulueF'
ond a oiece Of shell went through reg
an's pack. mess pan, and broke MS "a
zor in two places
rba, mustard gas is fierce, ftTe men
IN our section were gassed. o'ur co'i'-
many stayed back from the lines OUT We
had TO do our bit by carrying ana''un'
tion and chow to the front lines
salvage back after an attack mas IaHe"
80 "a b,,ild dug outs. and keep the
ro,as in rood shape and bury the deao
s,,I,. and orr enemies and our own
rner. .-o CO far
or.enf q little rain yesterday ana eouaS =
II has been dry ever since the H'1ou'E
Of May. .tr,s the
Fourth. Well I know I did. TOT NooN
my bath in river and that WIS ~
first one l had for thirtE-hfe DAY a
changed underclothes once III ''
time until I took my bath ore" neS
clothes. everything except !ess'nS CIV
cot rid Of the "cootics' that day 100
Thev are not like body or head lice pue
,bev arc about one-eighth of an 'nc''
long white with a black stripe do~t.
-,a bo,,k and oh they can bite. hao
tben, on me for about two weeks p"l
Sor,. ~ tho fellows have had them SIX
weeks anyway. ,L.n
NV birthday was last Sunday. nave
snen, two FourthS and two hlr'noas ;
over here and we have service stripes
seu,ed on our hlouSeS now. ana soi''e
have wound chercrrns. l know one tS'
low who has thirtS-hre shrapnei
wounds on his body. the doctors GOT 'he
sb,,nnel out with the exception OF l"o
pieces. ,,,11
areo,,r b. ourselves and cooked our
o,rn meals in the woods or win SQUAT.
5n5 alcohol. we had fried potatoes ana
bacon bread. coffee and jam Tor eeeaA,
10, every morning. The Red cross ana
NJ c. \. has been awfully good 70 U.s.
.hcy gave US milk chocolate cakes. can
nd reaches. apricots and tobacco wn'c''
has been scarce. ,,o,,
will close hoping TO hear from Fnu
soon, with best wishes and loEe''o N'''
and trusting in God.
From your son.
rr;vat, Howard G. Elliott.
Hdot. CO.. 9Th R"pt.
- " r American Expeditionary
L. S. II. c. A. K. F:
Via New York.