East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-10-23

News of the Troop d boys is con-
tanned in the following letter from
Walter r. Belts to his parents. Mr..
and Mrs. p. T. Belts:
American Expeditionary Force,
France, oct, 1st, 1918.
Dear Father and Mother:
Just d few lines to let you know
am still alive and well. We are hav-
! ing a fine time with those Germans;
stre are blowing them sky high, and
making great gains over on their im-
possible Hindenburg line.
We have been on the front over
three months now and cur battery
certainly has made glorious name
/ for itself. Sex
1t is getting some colder here now.
and quite lot of rain. II won't be
long before the snow begins to fall.
w sure do dread winter.
How Is everything in dear old Pens
dleton2 Would love to be back there
for Christmas, and we may return be-
fore many months, as Fritz is almost
| finished.
1 received several letters from YOU
few days ago. Think have received
most all of your letters. but haven't
had any from Tom Swearingcn or
Ed Carney. Hope TO get them soon.
| Received letters from Ethel and
Etna. also got a r. r. Yaper from
Cloyd. win write to them later. Et-
ma sent a picture OF Daphne and Dor
othy. taken while she was visiting
with you.
All the boys. from old Troop D are
fine. Earl Abbott is in Battery r..
and they are just up the road a short
distance from us. 1 saw thrilling
air fight the other day. a German
plane came over and shot two of our
balloons down. then a Frenchman at
tackled him: they came over our gun
positions and we could hear the bull
let's whiz in every direction. II put
me in mind Of a sparrow and a hawk.
After fighting about fifteen minutes
the Frenchman brought him down in
flames.
1t sure is great sight to watch the
planes sailing over the lines, ana 70
see the GERMANS try TO hit them. but
they Just sat along as though snoth-
Ing was the matter.
At present we are In an old torn
down town: nothing but the walls OF
some of the houses are left standing,
II sure looks fierce. We all have dug
outs. Some Of the boys and I are in
an old cellar, have great time with
the rats. Sometimes they have pos
session OF the bed. and sometimes we
get a chance at, it,
There isn't a single cootie over
here. They are all married and have
very large families. You WOULD die
laughing to see the boys reading their
shirts. Guess you think this is not
very elevating to write about, but
they are such interesting little pets
They look like Indian Joe's spotted
pony.
am going to send you some things ]
picked IN on Battlefield. and viii
get some OF those little wooden shoes
thev are awfully CUTE VIII send
cIovd and Etnas babies Dnin TOO
We'll. dear ones, II is getting dark
and will have 10 close for this timesl
hoping this finds you all In as good
health as Il leaves me. I am as ever
PVT. WALTER II. BELTS
Bat r, 14Gth y s.. r. A., American o.
r.. France.
p. s-Ter all my friends to write.
TX Is great 10 get letters from home.
..trycoNDfTToNAh SURRENDER
The 81. Mihiel fight proved to the I
Germans that the United States means
business ana that y. s. stands for
Unconditional Surrender saws Corpor-
al Russell a! Bowers in a letter TO his
mother. Mrs. c. l. Bowers. 507 Car
den street "And we aren't coming
back untll we get Il. SAYS Bowers. He
In ahklouh to know what the Ameri- I
can papGrs sa "a Of the st. Mihiei fight /
and SAYS the New YORK Herald (Paris /
edisionJ had much 10 say. Corporal
aoweTb n III a reginiehial job ~ agent !
or na5ticn corporal. tfs rnya Il Is