The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-09-12
LETTER FROM CAPTAIN
j. ". HEALEY
Puts Is In Close 1oucn With Things
at the Front

The following letter explains why
no officer Is permitted TO write per-
sonal letters to relatives of wounded
men or concerning those who are
otherwise in the casualty list 1t is
easy to see that the rule governing
the matter is entirely reasonable. but
it would, of course oftentimes be a
satisfaction if the families of the boys
could hear from Capt. Healy in these
matters
France, Aug G. 1918.
My dear mother
Since | wrote to you last | have had
a short trip TO Paris had a Won
derful time and it did me a world of
good To just forget for day or two
| saw lot of the city and all the
most historical places 1t is the
most beautiful | ever was in and the
French may we'll feel proud of it.
One hardly wonders that they fight
SO hard To keep the Boche out
As | look back over the last three
months | often wonder how am alive
| have certainly had some close calls
and many hair-raising experiences !
suppose people who have lost boys
here wonder why l don't write to
them. There is an order out for
bidding me to do this and the only
notification which is permitted is the
official one from the Government
am very sorry as | would like to tell
them each and every one personally
just how il happened and how brave
ly and nobly their boys fought Not
one Of them showed the least sign of
fear and all died like the true sol
diers they were. How | loved every
one Of them and their places cannot
he filled here. The worst of it is
they cant he replaced at home
The Bache is scared of the Ameri-
cans who attack with such disregard
for their own lives and also for the
lives Of the Boche that when we get
close in they turn and run A GER
tain outfit here stripped to the waist
when they went over and yelled so
loud and killed With such utter
abandon that they threw the Boche
into disorder and gained their oh
ieetive very easily, II certainly is a
rough game and We see the most aw-
fnl sights. | am getting SO | can
look at them without a shudder now
They expect a lot of lis in the line
NOu know one of these things is to
be as hard as iron and never show
sympathy. That is very hard for me
but ! am cultiyating it to the best of
my ability
We are behind the lines now and
never hear the sound of the guns any
more 1t is heaven here and we ap-
preciate the rest and comfort more
than We can tell
Have gotten rid of all my "cooties"
and the itch SO am fine now 1t is
good to feel clean once more The
men are beginning to look good also,
They all have new and clean clothes
and have gotten cleaned up so that
they look fine How proud you would
feel if you could see them at drill and
on the march. They do not look much
like the raw recruits we had back in
the states a year ago
| hope the war will soon end and
that all of us who are left may come
home to the land we love and are
good as whipped now and she must
realize it but she won't admit it yet
How glad we are to see all these sol
diers and believe me they are good
1t makes no difference whether they
were drafted or volunteered. they
fight equally we'll and with the same
spirit They are all out to win and
will win sure There is no way the
Germans can stop us now If it does
not end this fall it will early in the
spring
! envy YOU the good things in the