The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-12-27
CAPT. LINSTAD WRITES
GLAD THE WAR is OVEP--A
TOGCH OF GAS PUT HIM
In HOSPITAL.

Capt. Otto B. Linstad who was sta
toned in Madison in command of
Company E, made up largely of Mad
ison men, and went overseas with
them, writes Mr.. and Mrs. C. E. Oh
stad, of this city, as follows:
Verdun, France, November "a
Dear You All: From what you write
it seems my letters have not all ar
rived, but now that the German u
boats are no longer a menace l feel
sure this one will get through. First
of all, the war is over" and now all
danger IS last. l came out of it all
well, healthy and happy. Was in the
hospital IL days and On leave five
days while my lungs were healing.
but an now good as new and COM
pletely recovered. The gas caught
me while l was sleeping and | am
told that one more good Whit would
have won me a marble headstone and
a resting place somewhat under the
surface. l don't mind the gas, now
that all the pain has gone and am
fully healed, but it came at a very
unfortunate time. / was to take a
physical examination for promotion
the next morning, SO you see what |
lost by it. Only the physically fit
go forward and only time now can
prove to them a complete recovery.
1t does not matter now anyway. since
all is over and we won! At first it
looked like an opportunity to get
home for Christmas, but no such
luck now. / am going into Germany
as troops of occupation. We are told
it is a big honor to be so selected and
only the regiments that spent the
most number of days on the actual
firing line have been selected to en-
ter Hunland as victors and conquer
ors, but for all that now that the
war is over, l am anxious, like all
the rest, to go home and get to work.
Have been fooling around over here
long enough.
BY the time this reaches you ii
Will NC iii tSIIIldS. ALI CnCtOSInS q
funny lace thing that women use for
Mrs. c.. E. and hope it will please
her. They call it Cluny, l believe.
Anyway, the peasant women sill
around on the doorsteps gossiping
and making this kind of lace. / sent
you a dolly of it some time ago, but
since you did not mention il in your
letter, | suppose it was lost in one
Stars and Stripes" III official
newspaper yer here. to send you q
copy of "Yanks," a book of songs
written by soldiers serving in France
and / trust it will get through o. X
/ am SO anxious to learn about the
November elections and can hardly
wait for papers and letters. There i:
an awful tie-up on mail over here anC
| have not had any now for min,
weeks. When things clear l am go
ing to have a wonderful time read
ing all hat comes and answering yol
all. l have received a bundle of pa
pers once in a while and they wer'
certainly welcome. When one is ia
away the home news is surely dea.
to one.
have been in five big battles, sew
eral lasting for weeks and have hat
enough of war. We lost very heav
lily in men in my regiment, so / an
exceedingly lucky in being alive t,
return home via Berlin. 1t look
now it cannot possibly be befor
spring.
One of the surprising things to m
is the joy with which the natives re
turn to their shell wrecked home
with no sign of lament or complain
at the hardships facing them. Fou
years of wal has certainly hardene
them to trials and adversely. The
are so happy ove the fact thai III
world is now reasonably safe fro,
war forever and the German muc
5uasted and long looked for '1h
Day" has come and passed.
l Greet all my friends for me.
r wish / could drop in on you all fo
4 an evenings visit now during tn
: holidays. Hope the girlies r we
( and doing nicely. I have the picture
of them right with me and 1 Otter
e times look over the pictures of hon
: friends and home scenes / cannt
t help now thinking of the delight wit
e which my mother handled Mr. C. K.
pictures of Norway on that delightfl
evening we spent at your home.
In one of the bundles of papers
o found a silk kerchief. Am going
e save it for the possibility of a col
and sore thorat this winter up on til
e Rhine. Thanks SO much. Kinde
d greetings to all friends. Sincerel
s -Otto B. Linstad, Capt. 148th F. A
e Bird Army American E. F.
December Dear Friends: Ju
received your letter of November
Also four bundles of papers and thru
s large envelopes of clippings. inclu'