Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-10-24
JOHN KR.ADLE.
Somewhere in France,

Sept. 10, 1918.
Dear Cousin Will try and write
you IA few lines today | have been
out of the hospital since the 18th.
| am now in rest camp. Suppose
| will be chasing Boche before long.
We are having lots of rainy wealth
er here this month. 1t has been
raining here all day. Well, it's draw
ing near Christmas and don't think
| will be there to eat Christmas din
ner with you this year. But I'm 60
ing to be there to help you celebrate
the fourth, How is everybody getting
along around Audubon. Would like
to be there long enough 20 get good
feed. You want to have plenty of pie
and cake baked when | come back,
because sure will put hod nail bar
rage on the subbard. Seen piece in
the paper about having dry U. S. A.
If that is the case | will have to
bring back some vim ruse Gin other
words wine). I've got German
helmet, knife and belt to bring back.
And | expect 30 get few more Ger
man ornaments before this war is
ended.
Well | will have to make my let
ter short for this time as news is
rather scarce. So hoping this will
find you and everybody fine and
dandy, as | am feeling some better
myself, will close hoping to receive
some letters from the states soon.
AS ever
John Kradle,
Co. d, 355th Inf, A. H. F.
PAT CORE.
Somewhere in France
Sept. "a, 1913.
Mr.. and Mrs. s. A. Petty,
Audubon, Iowa.
Dear Friends: ! will write you a
few lines in answer to your letter
that | received Sept. 4. Was glad
TO hear from home, as II is the first
one ! had gotten from there since
being in France. / am writing this
sitting up in bed for | had one of
those German souvenirs handed to
me on trip over the top; got piece
of shrapnel in my left ankle and it
has laid me up for couple of weeks.
Have been over the top on two diff
ferent sectors since have been over
here and il is the real thing too, no
fakes about it.
Well, | viii answer few of your
questions that you want to know. AS
for coolies, we have them over here,
some are old enough TO wear service
stripes. Tell Dick that | can't send
him picture of myself, for there
are very few places that you can get
them taken, and as for sending them
a souvenir off the field of action, it
can't be done, and when it comes TO
money, have more than | can spend,
for it is hard to get away TO go any
where. so all the money | spend is
for tobacco and we can't get that
every day
/ wish that we had some of your
hot weather over here. for il don't
get so very hot over here, but it sure
can rain; it is raining right now and
has been at it for about week and
has no signs of letting up.
You want to know what kind of
trees they have; well the timber is
about all the same as ours at home
except there is more beech timber
IMAM any OtutI, Dut l. nave htNti Sttii
any hickory yet.
AS for being seasick there was
nothing to it. the boat / came on was
one of the three biggest ones on
the water.
All the houses are built of stone
and when a shell hits one of them
you can imagine how it looks. saw
three shells hit factory and when
the dust cleared away all there was
left was just pile of ruined brick.
Some towns are completely gone off
the map. except for a bunch of bricks
and stone, and probably never will
be rebuilt again.
So Clark has gotten in the army