The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-08-30
LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS
The Star VIII Gladly Publish Interesting Communications
From Sammics

The following letter was received
by Mrs Nellie kirkby, of Bothcil.
Wash. from her Hon. Private J.ano
kirkby. who h. with an American
machine gun battalion at the front.
Dear Folks: IL has heen a few
days now since ! received any mail
from any 81 you. but you want To
hear from ne. | know | am well.
as usual We arc having fine
" Gather here told you before.
think. that We had all tho cherries
wc could eat and all they cos, US
L. the labor 81 picking.
Etw a fight the other day he
tween two bochc planes and two
American planes II took place
clo-o 20 the ground and you can
guess who got tho best Of II, All
four planes were flying close to-
gether. the American planes ohn@-
inE hotiy behind the hoehes Al
werr flying AZ the same level. ana
all Of sudden the hochc turned
a Homcrsauit and tho Americans
cut IN front ~ them. all the while
shooting their machine guns at the
hoche. Then followed some fancy
flying that would make a bird turn
green with envy mot n parroO.
Did you ever go leaves whirling
about IN miniature cyclone7 Wen.
that IL the way thc-e planes went.
one so, way and the other fell
.mA4-a a. x,a.rxssm H,rm hnte
seen planes fight before. but they
we're French and bochc. or English
and bochc. and I bet our two bird
men made thonc two Huns say a
few swear words In Dutch. I think
one American plane and aviator can
lick four bochcs any day: in fact.
think they are doing IT,
Corp Oulahan Is still with the
same outfit. acting ~ an instruc-
tor There - a fellow who Is
Macedonian. who doesn't speak Eng
lish very well II - lnughable tho
way he pronounccs his words. Ho
asked me what my name was. and
told him. and he called me Gar
bage" told him mo. that isn't
right" and ! wrote "kirkhy." but
the nearest he could come 10 u
was "Kserkpoc." Always after that
they called me Garbage"
Just now some tobacco came from
the Red Cross. There were Merry
Christmas cards in the packages,
You got 10 hand II 10 them. they
arc doing a great thing towards
winning the war. heard that
we get paid today. and I am going
10 get some drawing material. Yes
terday got The Seattle star and
the Sedro- Woolley Times.
PVT. JESSE KIRBY.
Co. u. l2lst NJ. g. Bn.
a. +. O. 734.
The following letter was received
by Olaf Johnson, OF Manchester.
Wash. from his son. Oscar Johnson,
who has seen action with the Second
engineers. Company r.. in France
johnson was wounded in recent
battle and IL now In n hospital in
France:
Dear Father: have been In
Paris and over a big part OF France.
II IL beautiful country at this time
of the year. There are trees planted
along all the roads. The timber Is
mostly leaf wood. but there is fir
and pine on higher ground.
have also been under shell fire.
and It gives one a funny feeling Mt
first. but we get used 10 IL The
shells sing n sort of song when
they come. and II you are too close
when they explode. you are liable to
get scratched little bit"
My watch Is still running and
wish you would send mo some pa.
pers. The news from home Is pretty
nice TO read, even IL It is old before
IL gets here.
The weather here Mt present IL
fine. tho it's not as warm as II is at
home. ! would certainly like to have
some Of those good apples and Der.
rles with cream. They would taste
mighty good to me right now.
am sending mother n picture of
n room In Red Cross hospital This
IL about all can write for this time.
so I will close. With love to all,
your son, ALBERT.
Another gallant Seattleb oy. Pri.
vate II. +. Girard. who went over
the top" six times in the great al
lied drive. and was wounded In ac-
ton. tells OF his experiences In