Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-09-20
GETTING FEADY FOR ACTION
Written by Eerg't Fern D. Harrison,
while in Officers Training school,
in Ecommoy, Sarthe, France.
August 10, 1918,

in Ecommoy, Sarthe, France.
August 10, 1918.
| will have to go out in a short
time to go through real battle. We
go over under barrage of artillery
and machine guns. The trench NOR
tars and 81 men will also fire l am
an automatic rifle man, but l don't
happen to be in the first wave. l am
in the reserve and don't get chance
to fire. If you don't get this letter,
you will realize that one of the shells
had premature explosion. We have
to go over the top with gas MASKS
on. Tomorrow we will be fnis. To-
day is our last day of work, and then
we checkup and leave, l guess. hope
we get to go back through Paris and
can stay there a couple Of days; that
would give US time to look the place
over. [ guess l wrote to you while
there on my way up here. We stopped
there a day. l don't know whether
they will allow US to stay there or
not. Our officers got us there the
last time. Most Of the men came
| just to the edge and went around.
haven't received all of my grades, but
what | have were: Automatic pistol,
SO per cent; automatic rifle, 95 per
cent, and one examination IN gran
AIDES got SO per cent. do not know
what the others were. We were told
we would get them today. l will be
glad to get back to the company, be-
cause we sure have been worked while
here. | suppose we will be worked
when we get back, but we will not
have to study from to 9 D. m. ev-
of my men when | get back, though.
We have lost all our privates; we also
lost four corporals and one sergeant.
Another thing which I hate to see
worst of all is the absence of our
captain. These were all sent to the
front. You know we are replace
ment division now, and will have 20
supply other divisions with trained
men. I hated to see the fellows GO
for | had learned to know many
friends among them. The captain
was also a mighty fine man and al
ways sent me up here when the high
est non-com's were to come, and
was not the oldest appointed non
com. l had to go out TO the battle
ana was stopped in my writing; you
see am still alive. The bullets sure
did whiZ over our heads. We had M
casualties. The battle was real in al
ways and gave US all a taste of wha
things will be like up on the front.
large crowd Of the town people stoo(
| on hill nearby and watched US. To
; morrow we get our clearance Slip
) and then leave. l just came bacl
from town and the news of yetserda,
> sure looks good; 1000 prisoners cap
tured by the British and French AM
) 8,400 by the Americans alone. TIL
Americans are sure giving it to then
and l hope they keep it up.
: General Pershing is rumored t
[. have said: "Hell, Heaven, Berlin, o
!. Hoboken by Christmas" Whether h
:. really said this, do not know.
q I haven't been able to find ou
y: where the place you said Joe and Jet
;. were. We are at Ecommoy, Sarthe
: and I don't think l can tell you wher
:. we are at here, but it is on the Sein
> river. When we come into a tow
things are reasonable, but the art
cles gradually rise because the Frenc
:. think we are rich, especially the OF
!: ficers, in their opinion.
5, The French have funny kind G
d brown bread and they say it is nc
]; very good; looks like life saver ]:
5, the loaf. l must close, as my candl
is low. Write as often as you cal
will write later.
5, SERG'T FERN. D. HARRISON,
5, Co. E, 329th Infy., SD Div.
American Expeditionary Forces.