The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-08
Great To Know You Are
Cog In Machine"
Writes Erred Kiest
AMERICA MAY .....
WEAR MUCH CREPE
But She Will Never Have
To Blush With Shame
For Her Sons

monster, ana settle the score 1t owes
for the Lusitania, the Tuscania, for
ravished Belgium and Serbia, I"
writes Pie. Fred w. Kliest, who Wv
ences in spirited letter received
recently by his brother. Leon Kiest,
FP ~~n street car conductor.
Private Kiest was employed by
III" talA&s MOO ear 49,, -
way company until his enlistment
Iii the signal corps Of the United
States army last February. He was
transferred overseas in April, and is
a member Of Co. A, 9Th Field batta-
lion, which has been in the thick Of
the fight. It is not to be presumed that
Private Kiest has escaped I'M
scratched. for he, modestly alludes
to the fact that "after that was over.
I was discharged from the hospital"
There are three things that
make life worth living up here
thinking OF those at home. the Red
Cross, and the Y. M. C.. A" says
Private Kiest in his letter, extracts
of which follow:
At the Front. June %, 1918.
Dear Brother,
las this Is Johns day Of rest, and
I have AZ hours to spend sleeping,
getting the mud out of my~eyes, and
chasing coolies out into the open
where can get swat at them,
think can spare the time to catch
up with some OF my letters.
1--WE been at this location three
weeks today. and while we have not
got Waldorf accommodations, we
have all the comforts of home. We
have an entire deserted, village to
roam around in, and it is just like
being in an American town as we
are all Americans here, excepting
two old French ladies who have re-
mained. The rest are back Of the
war zone. l thought that stone
houses were ugly when was back
with the 116th battalion, but up here
in front they look good to willie
and when the shrapnel begins to
burst, I'm glad they're stone instead
Of wood. 4~
81 wish I could tell you all my ex-
periences Of the last three weeks,
but doubt that pen can, picture 1t
all. have lived 20 years in the
last three weeks; and feel ten years
younger. would not trade off my
chances to do my bit for anything
In the world. It is simply great to
feel and know that you are a cog
In the great machine that is to crush
the Rhine monster and settle the
score it owes for the Lusitania, and.
the Tuscania, for favished Belgium
and Serbia, and although we cannot
return clean bodies to captured
women, nor give back sight to the
blind nor life to old men and muir
dered children, we can and will plant
the fear of God so deep in the heart
OF the Hun Boches and Turks that
the roots will be there when Gabriel
blows his horn.
viii Cost Lot of Gold.
''It will cost lot Of gold. it will
cost a lot of blood to do it, but it.
must be done. We are here with the
blood, and It's up to the ones in
the United States to furnish the
gold, furnish it willingly and as
much without stint and grumbling
as we over here are furnishing our
life blood. America may wear lot
OF crepe, but she will never have to
blush with shame for her sons in
France.
sour company is sure a, bob cat
outfit, and no mistake. / don't
think it is against the rules to say
thanked our commanding general
and cited our division for work we
have done. We sure helped to bar
the way of the Boche on his scat
ter brain drive to Paris. but that is
a story to be recorded in history,
of how the Yanks barred the way
and said eye Shall Not Pass"
"Well, after that was over, was
discharged from the hospital which
was only a pleasant trip anyway,
as we saw some real American wom-
en- there, had cows milk and butter.
slept in white sheets with pillow
on the bed, and had other luxuries
such as tooth picks and black pep
ed. shudder to think Of what will
happen to each and eVery Red Cross
when the boys get home.
A really and truly Yankee girl
drove in here yesterday from the
Y. M. G. A. back of the zone. She
had a "tin Henry" just loaded down
with jam, canned fruit, smoking and
chewing tobacco, candy, cookies,
chewing gum, magazines, and papers.
/ was fortunate enough to get a
Fargo Forum OF May 4. Say, boy!
that old sheet did me more good
than all my money, and 1t made the
old wireless machine sound like the
normal school car making up seven
lost time. We cleaned up !
1p that old Ford SO quick 1t made
ls ali feel ashamed OF ourselves. |
y
though the salvation Of democracy !
depended upon 1t. IL the little lady
had not come. could not have
written this letter. as she brought
writing paper the most welcome
part of the load.
There are three things that make
life worth living up here thinking
of those at home the Red Cross, and
the Z. M. g. "A. Our best friends
are memories, our gas masks, our
As, our Red Cross and our Z. M.
O. A,
1--WE got . new buddy" again. His
name Is Everett Colby. He is a
Fargo college man, and knows a
naturally tied together. Colby anu
/ give fair warming that when we
come back we will be SO tough that |
the police force will have TO be-
Why, Colby says dam
already Just like regular teller"
1.-THE last mail received was dat
sd April lie. Say hello to any Of
the boys, and tell my friends that
]. newsy letter or even a card lis |
worth more and Is ten times more
welcome to. q man at the front than
! square meal.
Pictures Going to Bed.
RI will now give you a picture Of |
your brother going to bed, I kick
10 my straw pile, pick out the pieces
81 brick spread my dog tent half
Jver the straw, and my blanket on
100 Of that Next. lay my gas
mask down for a pillow. hang my
telephone buzzer near my right ear,
Az my tin Kelly ~ 84 inches from
1ly pillow, and see that my 45 has
lli magazines loaded. Next, I wrap
, sunny sack around each foot SO
hat / won't get any mud on my
loosen up my belt. button
lp my blouse, put ON my rain coat
ie down, and in three minutes by !,