The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-25


and repairing Fords, setting up field
kitchens, etc, seem to be our as
signed tasks and to what it is all
pointing none of us can find out. AS
| have already told you we have been
taking some conveys to and from
various places. Some have been am
balances up to the front and others
have been Ford trucks from ST. Ma
zaire to here The work is far from
interesting in this weather, which is
cold, windy and with considerable
snow from here north. There as been
great deal of dissatisfaction among
the men of our section, most of whom
are old Norton Harjes men who have
seen service at the front and are ma
turally disconnected with anything
less. 1t has been rumored that they
are trying TO make a casual section
out of US to act as a reserve subject
to call when needed and in the mean
time to keep Sandricourt Camp in
good condition and to replace all old
Fiat sections with Ford cars. This is
the most likely report, think, al
though there is absolutely nothing
official upon which to base any spec
ulation whatsoever.
Wednesday, January 2, 191S-Yes-
terday being New Years we had the
day off and I spent it in bed as did
many others. Our last trip to Bar de
due with a section of Ford ambulances
Ill q binding snowstorm was too much
of strain on most of the fellows and
many of us have been laid up for
few days. There is nothing on a
Ford ambulance to protect ones
face from the wind 1t was beast1y
cold all the way up with a sixty mile
an hour wind blowing most of the
time. The roads were like sheer ice
so that we were compelled to take
three days going up insteod of two.
We only lost two cars, both from
skidding and no one was hurt. One
car skidded into a curbing and
crushed rear wheel and the other
skidded off the road completely and
rolled over on it's SIDE Frazer, the
driver, is an old section sixty-one
man he miraculously escaped injury.
had mby first experience of dropping
out of place in Conveyance with set
clutch bands, and again with frozen
water. Hap and Johnnie were both
along and came through with no
trouble to speak of although / think
everyone dropped out of convoy at
least once. | hope this is interesting
to you. l can't seem to wax enthu-
siastic over anything these days 1t
did seem good to be back into old
Bar again 1t was on my last visit
there that had a memorable expert
ence in an air raid of which | think
told you. Since then they have
been raided many times, and the
town has been evacuated twice. Ger
tain sections are in ruins, and the
old hotel in which I slept last Sep
TENDER is shattered by nearby explo-
sions-nO direct hits being registered
They told us that the place hadn't
been raided now for three months.
Coming back we got Sunday in
| Paris Most of the day was spent in
| cleaning up and various baths were
lavishly .patronized. I guess I had
better give you my section address.
The following address seems to have
good results with most of the fellows:
U. S. A. Amb. Section CAT, A. E. F.
| with the French Army, Par B. c.. M.
France. Grant Willard.
December %, 1917.-My dear Mr..
Willard: / am in cafe writing this
as the billet in which l sleep is too
cold to use for anything but sleep
ing purposes. The room in which I
and nineteen comrades stay is about
eighty feet by 100 feet The roof is
at least thirty feet high and it slopes
down to four feet from the floor on
two sides. There are but two win
dows about two feet by three feet in
size SO you see we don't have much
light. We have but one stove. wood
burner about the size of a Standard
oil bathroom heater Of course we
can't heat such a large room with
such small stove. Some times,
though, we are fortunate in being
billeted and get room with a num-
Der of good windows and small
enough to heat.
Sitting directly opposite me with
his one leg under the same table as
are both of mine is a Frenchman who
was wounded at Verdun in February,
1916. His leg is cut off up close to
the crotch. Yesterday I saw five
men all with but one leg apiece, up
holding the old adage that birds of
a feather flock together" 1t certain
ly is pathetic sight to see these big
stalwart Frenchmen hobbling about
when they could have been as per-
| feet as you or I had it not been for
the lust of one German brute.
Some days l get chance to see
quite bit of the country as / ride
around on the trucks. / passed a
place the other day which reminded
me of some of the places Scott de-
scribed in his Marmion There was
a large building built in the shape
OF the letter V with tall trees sur
rounding it. There was a beautiful
courtyard and in the rear were large
servants quarters. I'd like to ex-
plain how it looked in detail as it was
a beautiful place, but as just passed
could give it but the "once over" as
they say.
i Not day passes but what | see
many interesting things, which would
be more interesting and which |
would enjoy more were l to see them
under different circumstances. New
ertheless in days to come, when /
am again back home in America sur.
rounded by loved ones, l am sure /
will never regret having enlisted.
! The work of a private soldier is hard,
but | am glad in lot of ways that |
did not try for commission as |
am sure it would be harder for me