The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-09-21

Wq Samuel Reeves, of Pleasant
G~ vile, and a former resident
of our city himself, who in
a fight on June 9Th, took charge
of his platoon after his lieuten-
ant and two sergeants were killed and
led them to their objective. Corporal
Hutchinson had forgotten all about it
until his mothers letter recalled it to
his mind. 81 only did my duty" he
writes. He doesn't see where any "in-
dividual honor stuff" is coming to him.
The letter:
A. E. F., August 18, 1918.
Dear Mother:
l received your letters of June 81
and % and was very glad to hear from
you, and also very glad that the fami-
ly are all well.
But l was very much surprised to
hear that Stanley is back into the SER
vice again. I should think that one
stab at it would satisfy him. But I
am glad that he is in the navy this
time. For it will be a lot easier for
him there than it was in the artillery,
and I am glad hat he likes it. For 1t
is the only branch of the service to be
in, and 1 have not forgotten how |
felt when they turned me down. For
as you know that was my greatest de-
sire to be a sailor, ever since the time
when you used to dress me in the
sailors uniform.
The army is a fine branch of the
but still it has been hard at times. In
the navy at least he will have a place
to sleep with a roof over his head and
three square meals a day. And that's
something you can't say of the army.
Now, mother, I don't want you to
think that I am kicking or dissatisfied,
for l am not, and l wouldn't have
missed what I have been through for
the world. But I can't help but feel
pretty blue at times when l think how
hard l tried to get into the navy and
navy thCll L liz doWus
Well, mother, you tell me that the
weather is cold and that you have had
frosts. Well, L wish that you had
some of the heat that beats down on
us in the daytime over here. 1t is
something fierce and so hot one can't
hardly breathe at times. The nights
are pretty cool That is after II o.
clock, which makes it so we can sleep.
Well, mother, your letter of June
%, and the part in it about me getting
individual honors by the French and
surprise to me han it was to you.
And when l first read 1t l couldn't un-
derstand what you were trying to get,
at. But when I opened the letter from
Mrs. Tanner and mother she had sent
me the piece that was in the paper.
Well, mother, all that I ever did was
just what that paper said I did. And
l had forgotten all about the fight on
June 6, and as far as me doing any
thing brave, why l only did my duty
and what my captain had trained me
to do. So I don't see where they get
the individual honor stuff from. And
l only did what anyone else would
have done in the same position that I
was in. If you want to know about
it why I'll tell you. All there was to
it was that the platoon was shelled by
the artillery just before the word came
to go over. And my lieutenant was
killed by the second shell that came
over and he was one of the incest men
that God eve put breath into. All the
men liked him and would have follow
ed him into hell if he had only given
the word. Well, anyway, he was kill
ed. And 1 stood right aolng side of
him when he fell. And a couple of
minutes later our two s~ergeants were
cause of his wounds a little later. And
after seeing my lieutenant and some
of my comrades fall it made me mad
and all l thought about was getting
the Dutchmen to revenge them. So I
simply took charge of them and away
we went. Well, mother, that is about
all there is to it. So if l am a hero
somebody else thinks. so instead of me.
For l had forgotten all about 1t.
Well, mother, this will have to be
all. Hoping to hear from you soon,
l remain,
Your loving son.