The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-06-12
SOLDIER BOYS
LETTERS HOME

LLllLNO uVII1)
psrev cavstt, Who Has Been in the
Trenches Three Different Times,
Rather Enjoys the Life.
HE MEETS MANY HOME BOYS
SAYS His Fathers Work at Home Is
Play Compared to the Work They
% In the Trenches.
Mr.. and Mrs. N. P. Cavett have re-
ceived two letters from their son,
Percy, who is serving with the Rain
bow division in France. Percy en-
listed with Co. B last spring and re-
ceived his early training at Ida Grove.
He was among those selected from
the Iowa national guard to help make
up the Rainbow division and sailed
for France last winter.
Percy has already received his "bap-
tism Of fire" and has served several
tricks in the trenches. He was among
three Americans who kept their post
under continuous fire out in No Mans
Land during that memorable battle of
March 5th when the 168th infantry
(irst met the Germans. Percy has a
host of friends in the community who
viii read with interest the two let
ters published below.
May II, 1918.
Dear Mother:
Tomorrow is Mothers Day and this
Is my Mothers Day letter. Uncle
Sam has been kind to US both and has
made arrangements for the letters to
be given special attention. lie re-
ceived the Review and see that father
still has his commission, and gets
$3.50 now, which makes 1t fine.
II had q letter from you dated April
1st, and some dated the 9Th, from
Geo. Brodersen, Rev. Boyd, John Hell.
sley and Edna, two from Hertha and
tell Miss Hayes l also read the one
she wrote to Burmese B0slOugh. He
stays in, the house next to me and
is.a}signal man.
4. got the box you sent to me, and
II sure was good. That chocolate Is
just the thing.
got some new clothes the other
day and had hot bath, SO feel fine.
would like to answer the other let.
tiers tonight, but this one is special
80 the others will have to wait. Tell
Malcolm Heiden that l got his mes
sage in that envelope and tell him
! and ell the rest of my friends, young
and old, Hello" I wish you would
let me know more about them all,
you can get it from the girls. l have
mot forgotten any Of them, the God
berson and Kochs and all my Sunday
school lads. Then the older ones, of
course, most of them are in the SER
vice, but some are still there. -
I read q letter that Aunt Let had
Il written Bill Marshall When we first
went into the war, people thought
\ that the American soldier would
L be Of no use. in the trenches.
III have been in the danger zone for
some time now and have done three
\ bitches in the trenches and it seems
natural to me. take to it like duck
4 to water. You don't need to worry
about your little son., as 1 feel much
better when know that you know I
am safe.
What is it that my sisters have been
telling John Helsley about me wasting
paper? don't "compae" as the
French say when they don't under.
stand.
BY the way, I must tell you of our
supper we had tonight. We had fried
potatoes with onions, bread, coffee,
and three of the finest doughnuts
ever had, and 1t sure filled me up.
\ remember how l used to eat the
round pieces that were cut out of the
doughnuts. We have had some fine
eats lately, and it makes us feel that
the U. s. and all the people at home
are behind US.
hope that you have been getting
my allotments and have you heard
anything of my insurance?
It seems queer to read Of trench
life as you people at home read it in
the papers, i would not have missed
this experience for anything. We
have seen some hard living, but it is
not all that way and the ex'
pefience is well worth it and
m0yeatoo. They say the selected birds
atsEamp Dodge are mollycoddled, but
on6week of life here would cure them
oftthAt, But after you once go through
b some OF 1t, you sure are able to appre
cixte r. mother, father and all that q
homesmeans to you. But all our hard
life 80 Oyerbalanced by the things we
learn, see and experience.
wish We could have cave as good
As the ones at home, to sleep in, on
4 tu0 1EOIlt. Ilue50S s6uu AdIuoT tllluhS ue
\ has q nasty Job when he has to dig
out q pipe that has been broken, and
the water running out of it.. He prob
ably can get some idea Of front line
trench when he gets down to about
or 6 feet deep and has to pump wa.
ter out before he can 60 down. Well,
we spent II days in such q place
without boots, at one time and very
little to eat, but that is all in the max
ing of soldier. The last two times
We were In the front line trenches
We had 1t much nicer and since the
Americans have been here, they have
made it more like place to live in.
We are back now, resting, cleaning
up and enjoying life as best we, of the
overseas boys know how and when
we get back home we will sure have
been through some school, far better
than could have gotten if had stay
ed at home and gone through some
college, SO don't think that am disat-
isfied.
aEe yIynDI vnokhn~ Joov kl,i, - n Lane ~