Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1918-08-08
LIEUTENANT WRITES
Alma Boy, Officer in Army, Writes
Home From France

has written very interesting letter
to his mother, which The Alma Rec
ord is glad to publish. Smith is well
who will be interested in the follow
ing letter:
Dear Mother and All,
1t has been several days since
have been near an American +. o.
so | have had no opportunity to get
mail off. Now ! am at a French
Machine Gun school but am going
back tomorrow and then ! will get a
chance to mail my letters. On the
way here | received about a dozen
letters, the first since the first part
of June and among them four letters
from you dated May IA, 20, June 3
and and also one from Esther.
4 nat is the way our mail comes here,
all in punches and mine has been es-
pecially slow but now hope it will
be more regular.
have had a great time at this
school and it has been quite a vaca-
ton. The French are the finest
people in the world and | have been
living with the officers who are our
instructors. They all speak English
so we get on very well From a dug
out to good room with a fine bed
and electric lights has been my rec
ord and it is some change.
Today we have had a holiday and
the French have helped us celebrate.
Last night we were given a reception
by the town mayor and the French
commandant Speeches and cham
payne were much in order. After
that our French instructors gave us
a dinner party and we had some
meal! Soup, pork with green peas,
roast chicken, French fried potatoes,
salad, cheese, nuts, Strawberries,
beer, wine and the last thing a big
angel food cake with an American
flag on it and rhubarb pie. Then
all the champagne and cigars we
wanted. In all it lasted until after
midnight. Then tonight we had a
show given partly by Americans and
partly by the French 1t was very
fine. You see we do not fare so very
bad here. The French do everything
in their power to make things easy
for US.
We are in an old town, not so very
large but interesting The other
night | visited an old castle built in
400 and destroyed later in wars.
The moat is still there and part of
the walls are preserved France is
full of such ruins.
You asked me if have seen much
Of the front | can't tell you very
much save that have had my first
trick there and know how the big
ones sound when they come over
head. You can always hear them
coming before they burst. My best
friends now are my tin hat and my
gas mask and | might add the holes
in the ground. A man certainly APP
preciates a pick and shovel on this
side of the water. 1t is all question
of outguessing the other fellow. The
Americans are certainly giving the
Bohces all they want. And for every
piece of old iron they send over we
give them two in return.
My machine guns are going to
give a good account of themselves
for have a good bunch of fellows
and all are good fighters. Our men
are the pick of them all and our
service is just little higher than
any other. like it much better than
infantry.
The first person I met on the street
here was boy from East Jordan
who was sergeant on the border with
me. He was later at Sheridan and
then went to N. c. with us. His wife
lived at the same house with Helene
and me. He was taken sick before
he left N. Y and was left behind.
Later he came over and now | have
seen him here. He is in the same
division that I am. 1t is unusual
for men to stay together for any
length of time.
The men must be leaving there
fast, they should have started long
time ago. And lot more will have
to come before the u. s. is anything
like France. | have no sympathy
for men who stay behind when they
might be over here II is a great
experience and no one should miss it.
NV men have never felt better than
they do now and they are all as hard
as nails. They get enough money.
The ordinary private draws about Sl5
127F) here and that is far more
than the French get. Tobacco is
issued to us and we get paper from
the Red Cross so there really isn't
much TO buy save wine.
| received an Xmas package from
the Red Cross, as did all the men,
not long ago Maybe | told you
about it. 1t had about a dozen diff
ferent articles and four pounds Of to-
bacco in different forms. They were
packages late for Xmas.
| smoke a pipe now. IL keeps my
nerves steady and gives me some
thing to think over smoked cigar
cites for a while but they are hard
to get or else we get only poor ones.
Well il is almost midnight so this
will be about ALL Tomorrow / am
going back to my company and on
the way I will mail this. / hope
there is more mail for me when | get
back.