Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-08-07
SOLDIERS LETTERS.
Overseas and Camp Letters from Or
leans County Boys.

The following extracts are from a
letter to the editor of this paper from
Robert E. Gardyne, formerly of
| Bloomington and Orleans, who is as
sistant editor of Litter Bearers
! Complaint" a paper gotten out by
! the boys at the front for their own
! benefit Three copies of the paper
were enclosed. Nearly all of the ma
terial in the paper is regarding the
boys and is largely personal:
American Expeditionary Forces
! 101st Ambulance Company
101st Sanitary Train
June 20,191S,
Dear Mr.. Gilpin:
| We are not very far from the
| front now and while | am writing this
the guns and shells are shaking the
building, or rather the shack, they are
having an artillery duel, / guess. The
towns around here are shelled nearly
every day but as long as they keep a
| little ways off it is all right. Once
in a while they wake US up and in the
| early morning it is impossible to sleep
if once they wake you up. Every
once in a while we get q gas alarm in
the wee small hours, which means
that you are awakened and have to
get your mask ready to put on, some-
times you have to put it on and some
times you don't, but you have to be
ready.
/ am enclosing a few copies of a
daily paper we print here at the front
for our own benefit. Of course, it is
more interesting to us as we know
all the fellows, but thought that you
might like to see paper from
France.
1 am feeling fine and getting fat.
I guess. The eats are o. K. and the
weather has been fine, so what more
could we want Except home.)
Sincerely yours,
Robert E. Gardyne.
The following is from Roy Long to
his sister, Mrs. II. L. Davis, of North
Craftsbury.
Somewhere in France,
May 80, 1918.
My dear Folks:
Just a line or two to say | am fine
and getting along WELL Today is
Memorial day and it seems strange
to have the same old thing. Some of
the F. A. fellows are out on parade
and the old band sounds homelike.
Guess there is a big boxing bout to
come off at the Y. NJ. G. A. this p. m.
so out riding tonight. Yesterday
was on detail. Do you know what
detail is? Well, in the army if there
is some work to do, bunch Of fell
lows go out and a corporal or SER
geant is in charge of the job. That
means they are boss. like to work
The French men are cutting their hay
and go at it so queer. Wish you
could see them and the tools they
use. No moving machines at all and
no harrows or ploWs that are very
good.
Sometime we are going to leave
this place and can you imagine how
shall feel when that time comes? l
like the army life fine, only it's being
away from home. You know the old
U. S. A. is the best place in the
world. Some of our people couldn't
live here and do as the poor French
have to.
l can see the draft soldiers parad-
ing in big cities and towns back
home. They are welcome to it.
am glad to be here where the fire
works are all the time.
You wonder if I am going to get
back all right. Well, l feel that
must come back to put some of the
fellows wise to the opportunities they
have and the chance to make good. I
never looked at life when | was at
home as / do now.
It's nice and cool here now. No
rain for couple of weeks.
l wonder if flower from the front
would interest you to keep? / will
put one in this letter.
l am not as f1eshy as / was. Guess
the mumps was the cause of my
growing thin. 1 feel better for l was
getting too fat. Guess l weigh 160
now. Bundy is fine and doing the
same.
We have had fine luck in our COM
pany so far. 1 told you about getting
off my horse. 1t hurt my
feelings as | had fine horse and
thought lots of him.
Remember me to all, and take good
care of yourselves. / think of you all
and wish you all the good l can.
Write me often.
Ever the same
Corp. Roy. L. Long,
Co. G, 1O1st Ammunition Train.
To another county friend Long
writes: