Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1918-12-21
II. GERHARDT IN
THICK OF FIGHTING
IN ARGONNE SECTOR
TELLS OF EXPERIENCES IN VIC
TORY LETTER. TO HIS
FATHER HERE.
ATTACHED TO DIVISION WHICH
CONTINUED FIGHTING UNTIL
ARMiSTlcE WAS SIGNED.
WILL. BE IN ARMY OF oCcUPA.
TON, HONOR SOUGHT BY ALL
DIVISIONS OF ARMY.

We print below very interesting
letter recently received by Clerk OF
the Circuit Court l.. Dew. Gerhardt,
from his son, popularity known as
BIN.
The letter was written on Novem-
Der "a, and by concerted arrange
ment every boy in the American
Forces abroad was expected to write
a Victory Letter" on that day to his
Dad. The letter was devised to
serve sort of triple purpose; it was
written the day before Thanksgiving
and intended to be Thanksgiving let.
ter from the boys which would reach
the folks at home in time to be a
Christmas letter to them. 1t was call
ed a Victory Letter" as compliment
10 the ending of war.
The letter follows:
Dads Victory Letter.
Sunday, Nov. Gath, 1918.
Lear Rather.
You already know the meaning of
Dads Victory Letter" hence it is I'M
nessary for me to explain the head
ing. Censorship rules have been made
less stringent and l will make a
short resume of my service in the A..
q. F. Some of it you already know,
parts of it you may have guessed, but
there still remains a little of which
you might wish to hear.
/ To begin, / sailed from Hoboken,
March 8th on the much-talked-of Levi
athan, along with twelve thousand fell
low officers and men. We crossed
without an escourt until one day out
from Liverpool when we picked up
five destroyers and continued cur voy-
age, docking in Liverpool on the 18th.
(You will notice what a quick trip this
was) | saw little of Liverpool. From
there went to Winchester to one of
our American Rest Camps. remained
there almost four months during which
time | had opportunity of spending
few days in London and seeing a great
deal of Hampshire. | was then sent
to Romsey where acted as Adjutant of
the Regiment at the Rest Camp there.
My duties IN England were In connec-
ton with the quartering, feeding, and,
caring for troops en- route through
England for France. | saw. a great
many Of our divisions going through
and In them many classmates and
friends. / was anxious to get out of
England and rejoin my regiment which
arrived in France the first part Of
May. ] had "a bunch that would miss
something big, and, sure enough, did
1.-The Battle of the Marine; but made
up for this later.
Finally about the middle of August
] received my orders and crossed from
Southampton to La Havre, thence to
Paris, thence to LIE Bourget (Seine)
thence again to Paris, thence to Dion,
thence to Is-sur-Tille, thence to Chau-
mont, thence to Gondricourt( through
Langres. where Dick was stationed)
thence to Dainville, where / finally
found the regiment. | was sorry to
be so close to Dick and not be able to
talk to him. On my arrival the Colonel
looked up and said why, where the
II did you come FROM" The regi
ment had changed quite bit, Colonel
Lloyd still commanding but most OF
the battalion and battery command
ers shifted around as we'll as the 9th
er officers, and numerous casualties
Including quite number of officers
The 3rd Division, of which the 10th
Field Artillery was part had gone
Continued on page six.)
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