Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-10-30
WOULDN'T MISS IT
FOR Anything
Is the Way Guy Yarwood Writes
His Folks About Being in the
Army Over in France
SAYS MAN HAS SOME
REAL EXPERIENCE
Wrote His Letter i'm Dugout in Old
Building That Was Blown to
Smithereens i'm 1914
American Elk. Force.
Sept. 8, 1918

Sept. s, 1918
Dear Folks.
Well l must rob myself of a
| couple minutes sleep and scratch a
few lines to you. I should have
written before, but have been going
some lately. Moved on the line a
few days ago and have had a few
shells dropping around once In
while. A couple of fellows killed
in d. Battery of this regiment. We
have done no firing as yet. / got
letter from Bob and one from
Florence. Yours was dated July 8th
and l got it Aug. Goth so you see
what delay our being split up caus-
ed us. 1t was No. 8, to hasn't
arrived yet. / was on my way to the
front a year from my enlistment
date. We see some of Jerry's planes
every day and stiTl more Allied. Will
see more in few days. We can see
big hill just this side of the Ger
man line. | mean Germany's boundry
line, so was right when l said I'd
more than likely see German soil be-
fore came back from the firing line.
There hasn't been much doing here
for a couple of years. l am writing
this in dugout in an old building
which was blown to smithereens in
about 1914 and coolies and other
minor bugs are running over the
walls. suppose you see by the
papers what the British and French
and Yanks are doing in other sectors,
but wait until we get started. Boy
oh! boy we'll go some believe me. /
hear the shells bursting somewhere
now, so suppose they have located
some positions. Good luck to them
now, but it won't last long. We have
been handling 95 lib. bullets or so
called projectiles, nights and dig
ging gun emplacements etc, during
the day. Haven't heard from Leo
Payne yet. Suppose he is busy on
the lines where they are driving so
hard at the Huns. Gee! l wouldn't
have missed this trip and excite
ment for love or money, even tho it
does cost me still more than that.
A man sure has some real expert
ence. Even see Hun shells burst
within $50 yards of you. Sounds
great, but it is real and we can see
the trenches and hills in the rear
of them where our shells will be
bursting some day and closer to
them than that too. It's great life
| If you don't weaken. General Per-
shing said Heaven, He'll or Hoboker
by Jan. 1" and we are going to try
1t out. sure would like to tell you
more, but it is impossible at the
present writing. Haven't been paid
yet, but have signed the pay roll,
so may be paid soon. We are get
ting good feeds for army life, but
wait until / get home, I'll say Ma
fry few chickens, a couple of dog
en- eggs, few good pies, some spuds
and I'll sit right down and eat half
the day and sleep the other half of
the day and not think / am getting
more than my share. We have
adoughnuts every once in a while.
Tomorrow We get apple pie, as the
gang located an apple orchard in a
little ruined town, but they are not
like mother used to make" We
had a few gas scares, but no gas.
Just the alarm being carried along
the line from somewhere in France.
That's the stuff person don't, care
ITO have much to do with. I'm really
more scared of that than | am of
shellfire. / can't think of much to
write, only that box cars are the only
thing we ride in on the railroad, you
might say, and you're put in like
sardines. Won't know what it Is to
ride in real coach and sleep in a
feather bed. That is Just like dream
now, but will be real days when they
do come and no war news to read.
Gee! can't imagine it. Well no
more to write SO will cut 1t out for
now. Watch the war news and
trust to luck is all / can say. Good
night.
Your loving son,
GUY r. HARDWOOD.
Battery f. 1913 H. f. A.
Am Ev Eorcas In Franco