The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-06-27
ANOTHER GOOD
LETTER FROM France
John Rasmussen, Son Of Mr.. and Mrs.
S. J. Rasmussen, Writes Another
One of His Unusually Inter-
esting Letters From
France.
April 20, 1918.

April 20, 1913.
Dear Folks:
l suppose you have the same inter-
est in learning where l am that had
in knowing where was going, but of
course such information is to be kept
secret, as far as our letters are con-
cerned, and to find out you'll have to
cable Berlin and ask the Foreign In
telligence Office where the old battal-
ion is, where it landed, and the name
of our transport, if you want par
ticulars. They likely know more
about it than we do.
Yet, We don't learn much by know
ing mere names of places, boats or
outfits and knowledge of the climate,
living conditions, and general sur
roundings is really all that is worth
having. The only thing that hurts
in a censorship is the itch it puts in
you to tell the forbidden.
Now, as far as our location is con-
cerned, it would make no difference
in our hunks comfort or our elbows
quality, whether we landed at quay
in Bordeaux or St. Nazaire or Brest
or Cherbourg or Marseilles or Ham
burg and the countryside in any To-
cality in Europe, l suppose, is as
beautiful and new to us as this, the
sky as full of clouds, the harbors as
crowded with gray or enthusiastically
camoufaged boats, the people as
strange, the war as close. I can't
imagine a country more beautiful than
this bit of France.
Our camp is located atop rise, and
an observer has view over .greenery
of woods and fields and meadows, and
between himself and the horizon ham
let's, towers, red rooted cottages, hills
and valleys, and to the Northeast the
city, with it's many colored, huddled
roofs and ships in harbor.
Coming up the Channel, we had,
to starboard and port, scenery much
like that on the approach to South
ampton coming in on the west SIDE
of the isle of Wight. The weather
was moody; now brilliant with sun
light then dull and rainsoaked; but
the shores and cliffs were welcome
sights, and the details OF the land
scape beautiful. Things were more
coherent and detailed here. there's
none of the sense of desolatlon ana
waste, vacant places, you feel IN me
western towns and country; here the
houses are as "well Designer, and
picturesque as those in our old MUIR
serv books, the gardens little Para
discs, the farms like parks, and the
whole picture is of course dehgn1-
full.
Our ship, passing these things, took
MS nv grimmer things. Occasionally
we saw masts sticking out of the wat
or. and it was dismal and dreary IN
France for while. Nothing is more
bleak than the bare masts OF a sunk
on shin. If we'd seen a bit OF those
things. leaving the Roads, our ban
don ship" drills would have had more
snap and seriousness, on the way
over, Our trip over was enjoyable,
though when I boarded ship and saw
our narrow hunks in tiers, set close
together in rows, wondered.
Every so far pile of tin pans
and buckets marked a "food section
Later on a peculiar nauseatlng door
grew there and emphasized the ad-
vertisement. l was an orderly at the
headquarters, and had some running
about to do, so | wasn't seaslck. Inc
third day out I clasped the rail seven
times, and regretted my having been
born--but ! wasn't sick. l read two
or three books and several magazines,
while on duty-it wasn't stiff work at
ALL Nights, Perry and / slept on
the hurricane deck. We were warm
and comfortable with six blankets,
overcoats and our life preservers for
mattresses. I think we had more
pleasant trip, eating out of mere tins,
and sleeping on the dock planking,
than if some kind witch had given us
first class ticket and sent US over
in a stateroom, next rich dining
saloon. It's all in your mood.
The convoy was met, as usual, by
a flock of these slim, quick, deadly
destroyers and they ducked and dart
ed. and zig Jagged busy as young
ducks. We saw no periscopes, but
the disappointed troopers made up
for it by bailing up wonderful stores
among themselves which were passed
around until we half. made ourselves
believe 'em to be true. BY rammlng,
depth bombing, Smelling, airship bomb
ing, lassoing and poisoning we sunk
anywhere from 10 to 80 subs-troops
report.
Coming thru the danger zone there
was no tension or excitement among
swarms of deails that hover over us,
a large grasp of situation is all we
obscured. Had we felt the serious
ness of "watching for periscopes",
there's no doubt we'd been more
worried lot. At that, land was good
to see. -
We've seen bits of everything here.
Men in blue gray French uniforms,
interest US most, but German prison,
ers, the peasants, the folks who sell
rs figs and cakes take our interest
too. OF the war, we see touches OF
It in the destroyers, the huge supply
reserves on the dock, the steel for