Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-09-18
SOLDIER BOY LETTERS
LIE ROY DURNI LETTER.

Field Hospital, Aug. 13, 1918.
My Dear Mother
You are surely anxious to hear
from me. | have wanted to write you
but couldn't for different reasons
Since we left the old sector life has
been most likt a dream, but a dream
tnat VIII never be forgotten, and
men l think of things | saw it makes
the tears come to my eyes. | do not
konw when | left the company; | lust
know got to a hospital. 1 looked at
my tag and found they were giving
me morphine. But l am really glad
L got to come. / can write YOU and
you won't have to worry and more.
me experience that l had has been
great. | remember of passing towns
that were shot Jewel with the round
The awful smell of dead Germans.
Say they stink" 1t nearly makes
me sick to think of it. The ground
is strewn with German helmets. rifles.
clothes and everything the Germans
had. We SURE got their goat that
time. We showed them what the
Yankee boys can do, but l would lust
as soon let someone else make the
next one and Uncle Sam can furnish
all new ones too. / would give a
good deal to show you some of the
SIGHTS Tucf ni0Enro o,,u I:AAIo l~---
fiat to the ground and you will have
it.
Well mother, you don't know how
good 1T is to be alive and to think the
war will probably be over by Christ
mas and we will be home for next
summer. I have been lying here
thinking of all the people at home
and just what | would do when l get
there. I'll bet the babies are cute by
now and I'd love to see them, but 1
must wait for a while yet. We get
used to waiting so it does not bother
me much now. You must tell the kids
to write me. You always ask if I get
my papers. I get part of them. They
are usually two or three months old
but always welcome. Give the peo-
pie at the church my best regards and
tell them I am pulling through just
fine. -
Base Hospital, Aug. %.
| wrote you at the field hospital that
| was going back to my company
o o but I am not back yet. Was
worse than first thought so they took
me to the base hospital. 1t is nice
to be out of the lines with no air
raids or big guns popping at you. [
just thought l would go mad some
times but still that wasn't so bad
when 0 could get a crack at the
Huns. l have been treated like a
king since I have been here in the
hospital. l can't tell you just what
is wrong with me; it probably would
not pass the censor, but it was the
Huns and believe me when / get back
I'll get even with them. 1 have not
heard from you since June LIST but
am sure you are all we'll. l suppose
the people back home are proud of
the Yanks and the u. S. is sure taking
good care of her boys. 1 did not
know what the Red Cross really was
doing but now l do. / haven't had a
cent for a month and they have kept
me in everything / need. We are in
the mountains in southern France, a
very beautiful place. 1t is much nicer
than up where the dead Germans are
and the ground covered with guns
and German helmets and the cities
nearly all fiat with the ground. 1t is
a sight one never can forget. l would
not take a good lot for what / have
seen but l do not care to see any
more. One day / buried Germans. 1
picked them up with a fork or shovel.
Now mamma you think that would be
awful. 1t did not bother me at all, no
more than to bury a horse or a cow.
We were sorry there were not more
of them. l have not written a word
to anyone for a month so you tell all
my friends just to keep writing and
1 will write as o as I can.
Your loving son,
LIE Roy D. Durni.
The smaller the town the longer