The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-10-23
From the Boys
Louis Broqan, France.

Mrs. r. M. Brogan, Of Vail, has sent
us a letter which she received from
her nephew, Louis Brogan, who is in
active service and has been "over the
top"
Base Hospital, Tours, France,
a.. j Sept. IS, 1918.
Dear Aunt: "
Received your most welcome letter
few days ago, and certainly was glad
to hear from you and that you are all
we'll. wrote you couple of letters
about two months ago but you prob
ably didn't get them as the mail often
gets lost there is so much of it. Twas
also glad to get the clippings of the
papers, 1t seems good to read papers
that come from good old Iowa. When
get back there sure am done sight
seeing for awhile. Not that I am
homesick,- Oh no, and I like France
pretty we'll now, but didn't like it at
all at first, I guess it was because
wasn't used to their ways and couldn't
talk their language, but now am quite
a yFrenchman.
AT present l am in a big base hospi-
tai a couple of miles from Tours. I've
been here since August 18th, nothing
very seriously wrong with me, and i
feel pretty good and am able to be
around and hit up the mess line three
times a day. I've sure seen a good
deal of France since I've been here.
We landed in Brest May I'd, and stay
ed at rest camp a few days then went
to Bordeaux, which is the second larg-
est city in France, and a place of AGO.
600 population. 1t was very nice
place. l was also at an artillery camp
about ten miles from there, and was
sent to telephone school for six weeks
and from there we went,up on the Lor-
raine front. 1t was a quiet sector when
we, first went up but it used to get
pretty warm at times when the huns
started to send over some 80 shells.
l lived in one dugout for two weeks,
had the telephone switchboard right
there to keep in working order. Al
ter three weeks we came out, for rest
to the city of Bayou. 1t was a pretty
nice place. From there we marched
eight nights over to- Chateau-Thierry
which you no doubt have read about
We were there in time to help drive
the d-n huns back. and we sure
made them go some, was also up
around Luneville and few other
places. Was in Chateau-Thierry twice.
1t is a place of about $4,000 popula-
ton. That was during the last part
of the drive, SO I came here to the
hospital. 1t sure was great to see a
real bed and white sheets again. 1t
was too soft and I could hardly sleep
for a couple of nights. One certainly
gets treated good here.
was down town Sunday afternoon
and ran across Harry Ketterer He
is at an aviation camp nearby. We
sure were glad to see each other for
he is the first Odebolt boy I've seen
since l left Camp Dodge.
would like to be back in good old
Iowa for few days and see everybody
again. I don't think it will be very
long until we are all back. We sure
Will have lots of news and exciting
stories to tell. I was up in the front
line trench in an observation post and
took a peek over the top with big field
glasses at the Germans. 1t was about
3 o'clock in. the afternoon. Well it is
about time for mess so guess I will |
close for the present. l suppose l will
be back where the big noise is by the
time this reaches you.
Hoping that you are all fine, l will |
close. I o..
Your nephew.
t%.. Louis Brogan
Battery A, 3O4 Field Artillery,
Amer. e. F.