Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-11-21
ROSCOE c. PLUMLEY
GOES OVER THE TOP
In France, Oct. 8, 1918.
Dear Folks:

Dear Folks:
This is some place TO write so l
am going to make one letter go the
rounds. don't know when cah
g"t 1t censored and Eiailed but will
do my best. II is pretty noisy and
sometimes We are real busy lodging
pieces Of shrapnel, but this division
is ahead of the ones on either flank
so we are getting a little and much
needed rest between Boche smells
and aircraft. We went over the top
at daybreak September. 20. and have
had some very hot and nasty fight
ing, but the boys stayed with 1t like
old Vets" and left good many
dead and wounded Germans with
the ones We lost. My battalion went
over in heavy fog and smoke bar
rage, and did not meet the Germans
until we had advanced two miles
through the timber and their
trenches. The fog lifted suddenly
and left US on an open hillside with
Boche machine guns on both sides
and big guns in front. Every man
fought like old timers and walked
up. on machine gun nests like they
did not know what was there. Some,
of course, fell, but so did the ma
chine guns. My first experience
under fire came quick and | think
was too d mad to get scared.
l saw a man fall little to one side
of me and started to him, but soon
dropped and crawled up. He was
hard hit and l started to cut his
pack, ETC., off so as to handle him,
when a Boche sniper opened up on
me. He put four shots right over
me and one kicked up the dirt at my
side. 1t seems the Red Cross on our
arms makes a target they love to
shoot at. We carry them in our
pockets now. Well that is what
made me mad and from that on I
did not have time to be afraid.
| was a pretty sick man the first
day, but now it doesn't bother me,
nor do l see so much, for we are not
on the firing line so much. We have
plenty to do taking care OF the
wounded as they are brought in by
the Observation-Disclosures.
don't think Sherman knew much
about war, and trench warfare is a
picnic compared with this drive
stuff. This morning 7 washed and
shaved, the first time I have even
washed my face in nine days. All
we have is gas mask and our first
aid outfits. At night we dig little
hole in the ground and crawl in.
We expect relief now and are
surely ready for it. The Germans
have not had time to use much gas
and I have only been in It once.
think this game is about over and
I hope so for have had enough. It
sure jars to find what was a friend
and have to tag him "Died in Ac-
tion"-perhaps only to have part of
a body to tag. These high explo-
sive shells are hell pure and simple.
We were at the Toul front, but only
our machine guns went into action
there.
Yesterday We saw good air fight
and the American plane set fire to
the German. They were high but
fell near us, the two Germans falling
out while still very high and fell,
faster than the burning plane. 7,
know 1t will sound funny to you, but
we all cheered just the same, for II
the Boche get hold OF an allied plane
they use them with our marks still
on, then fly over our lines and sig
nal the big guns where to drop their
big shells. Nothing is too little or
too dirty for them to do. I think
must be bullet proof, for they have
had no luck with met yet.
only wish I could write a letter
as j want It, but as you know
can't. don't know much about the