Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-21

I tain and one Sunday while out for walk,
we came 10 this mountain and believe me
! il sure was pretty sight 10 see that lake
! and city at the foot of the hill. Didn't
! do much while here but look pleasant.
/ Left this place the oath of June and joined
my own bunch at Viewville near torcleuX,
where ! got my first pay since | crossed
The ditch and then IT didn't amount To
/ ANYTHING for | owed most OF 1t to the
! government
Here at Nicwvillc we stayed until July
| ID, when about 10 30 IN the morning, when
| the sun WAS shining its hottest, VIC march
! ed into Corcieux and thank goodness 1T
wasn't far or else we would all have been
| melted away. We never even rested one
! minute, and talk about weary looking
! bunch, YOU should have seen us, sweat
, from head % foot but still able to navigate
into town that night 1t was at tins place
z! ! bought the pillow top and mother
/ apron
! on the 18th w left this burg and
, travelled hv truck 10 Roam !. :. EtapC. This
. was the place of all places for US, for II was
! q good sized place and lots of people there
4 Here we STAYED for good while and bad
! tho best Of things 10 eat II was here met
I the French gIrl who ,rICd 10 teach me
/ French Many nights stayed there unth
! II O'Clock talking broken French and
I every two minutes | would have to con
/ suit my dictionary IN order 20 SAY word
/ or two ] WAS sorry in a way 70 leave tins
I place, for sll of our excitement took place
here
VIC slept out IN our dog tents here,
rain or shine About twice week or three
times, the Germans would make night
rand on Baccarat. 4 little town eight kilo-
meters from us and bv the noise YOU would
have thought thcv were only half mile
away. About 10 O'Clock, we would hear
tho motors huzzlnr and soon We would
hear the bombs exploding and sec tho re-
fCction OF same on SKY Ono night one
German plano svoopcd down 50 low over
nuT heads that we could d dstingulSh he
black cross on the wings al his machine,
andwe all flew into our tents for VIC thought
he might decide to drop one about here,
but he never did.
J II was here that we saw our tIrst graves
Of French and German soldiers Some
were in rhe middle of fields. others were
along tho sides ol TIC roads and still
Others were on the hanks Of small streams.
II was where they fell that they were
buried, no matter where that place was.
Zach grave is taken care OF by some
( French people who live near by for no
tlptAll some Ot!ltF / TeIlFil Elepple are LAX
lng care OF the graves Of their loved ones in
I some other part Of France Nearly all the
F, city ol Roam L'Etape was in rl!ns for
! the Germans had no mercy while they
went through.
/ We lett Roam L Etape the 23d OF
august and went 70 Eloves with our
/ Cootie-killing" machine. Here We re-
/ ceived orders TO ''delouse" the Infantry Of
! 18th and we did II only took us two days
! to do 50, and then We had to leave our
| standby, much TO our sorrow, for nova
/ days. some Of the fellows say. Gee, but
| ! wish we were back with the cootie-
| killer and had some work to do, and
agree with them in way.
On the 29th Of August we left E1oyes
| and came to Naldahon, where we are at
| present, but will not be two weeks from
| now. Where we are going ] can say. but
! don't care for this place IS slower than
BrandyWine Summit Camp during De-
cember, so YOU can imagine our life, no
! place To 90, no place 10 spend your money
II has been hard luck game to nearly
! every sanitary squad, for No. 10 lost their
| commanding officer when they came here.
and we lost ours also. Lieutenant Hank
| ey has been transferred into the perma-
nent personnel and he now has the kind Of
work that he ENJOYS for he Is the assistant
| IN the operating room. We are all sorry to
lose him, but if he would rather have
medical work instead of sanitary, well,
II is up TO him. One squad pulled out last
week and we hope to 90 this week or the
next
The country around here reminds me Of
the country down in Virginia, for we are
only about % miles from the Swiss border,
so YOU can imagine what scenery we have
and what kind of climate The artillery
range here at this camp Is the best in
France. and nearly all the batteries Of
artillery come here for their practice so
YOU can imagine how much racket goes on
here
Well, dad, the war is over, or do you
know it? The next proposition IS when
do we come back? Some say on account of
of the scarcity Of men in the States, they
are going TO discharge the men OF the
National Guard and National Army first
and leave the Regulars till last Others
say that they will be discharged according
TO the way they came across the deep blue
ditch, and if so / will be discharged among
the first 450,0 600. As the Englishman says,
1T is imInaterial to |" when | get back,
just 50 yet back safe and sound.
Give my love to all friends and tell
them where | am. Must close now and get
this IN To be censored.
With all love,
Your son,
Private William Wesley Hance, Sanitary
Sauadruu No Ia CaDn HoSnital No