The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-26
LIEUT.. REARDON ENJOYS FRENCH
 HOSPITALITY
Writes Interesting of FIX periences and Pays Tribute
 to Red Cross Nurse,


 pie, where he is recovering from wounds received In action on the Champaigne front, Lieut. Frank U. Reardon of this city, in a letter to A. H. Garfield of the H. o. Garfield Co.,, tells of the extreme hospitality of the French. The letter is interesting throughout, and in it Lieutenant Reardon pays high tribute to the American Red Cross nurse. Any time girl tells me that she saw ser vice at the front, she can have my shirt" is the way the American off cer expresses his gratitude for the treatment he received.
 Lieutenant Peardon is well known in this city ard was formerly employ ed in the investigation depa -tment of the Remington Arms Co. The letter follows:
 Hello Bert:
 Expect you have wondered where this boy is more than once. At pres ent I am living on the fiat of the land' so to speak, myself. Am con valescing in a chateau in what they call the Garden of France. Am liv- ing with fine old couple who are pretty well fixed and they think there is no one in the world like yours truly.
 Was knocked out by a machine gun in the big push up at the front and, after a couple of weeks in the hospital they sent me here. To tell you the truth I don't care if I never get through convalescing. This old boy I am living with has lost a couple of sons in the war and as I am the first American he has come in con tact with, why nothing is too good.
 You people may have had a won derful celebration the night the arm istice was signed, but I want to tell you that we staged a little party be- tween the three of us and l am here to state that there was no table in America that served tho wine this boy drank that night. Stuff that was bot tied before the civil war by this mans father and this fellow is sixty. Am sitting in front of a big open fireplace now. The Madame Is across the way chattering away to beat the cars. I only get about one word in ten, but I can tell from the way she shakes her head just how to reply and I always agree because, believe me, that old girl is boss.
 I started this about about four o'clock Old Man, but the old fellow brought in the bottle and by the time we finished that it was time for din ner and as I have taught these people how to play bridge necessarily had to join them in a game after dinner. Besides there is a niece visiting here that is very anxious to learn how and we'll take it from me Old Top she gets away from the post like a winner. It is nine-thirty now so I'll finish this and hit the hay.
 Haven't seen much of France as they shot me up front two days after I arrived here and with the eXcep- tion of three days have been m the lines continually until they sent a few babies" over with my name on them and I forgot all about the war for a few hours. I came to in an Evacua- ton hospital back of the lines. They caught me in the stomach with a ma chine gun and the first knew about it was when I came to hungry as hell and lool-cd up and saw the finest looking American Honest-to-God girl I had seen in many days. asked her how long I had been there and she said about twelve hours.
 I am not kidding at all Bert wher I tell you that I was about as much ashamed of myself as man can bt because when I hit the place wal mighty dirty. Hadn't washed myself for five days and I'd been sleeping 1T mud and worse for three weeks, SC you can imagine what a gruesomt task that little lady had. Bert, thought I had seen some tough times I was on the Somme and in tht Champagne sector, but that last fvt days-Well, I'll tell you about then as it would take too long to write.
 But any time a girl tells me sh, saw service up front as a nurse, we'll she can have my shirt, as they sur, are pure gold. I was ashamed t; talk to her until she told me tha she'd done that "cootie removing act so often that she wondered wha was wrong with the boy that came in there and didn't have them.
 But the damned war is over nov and believe me I don't think anybod that has been up in that hell-hole sorry as we all dreaded the though of putting in a winter up there.
 didn't get any medals, and promotion are almost unheard of at the from They are too busy fighting to thin, of anything else but I am willing t come back any time now. So don expect to see general, but neverthe less I may have a story or two tha will warm the cookies of your hear Our boys showed them a thing or tw and maybe they didn't win this wa, but they sure as hell stopped it an that amounts to about the sam thing.
 Reckon you are tired of readin by this time, so I'll close. Don know how soon I'll be back but r look you up and if the country hash gone dry we may have a cup or tw together. Give my regards to a the boys and the next time you drin at the Stratfield take one on the al sent member. I have told this ol couple here in my damned DOG French all about the old crowd an we have drunk to your health a doz en times during the telling.
 Yours as always,
 FRANK. Lieut.. Frank J. Reardon,