Norwich bulletin., 1918-07-15


 Sergt. B. L, Bartolucci who is with the Seth Artillery, somewhere in France writes the following letter to Otto Baker of this city:
 France, June 21, 1918.
 Hello, Otto: Just few lines to let you know that I am still alive and feeling better than ever I dent know whether you're still at the mill, but am taking chance that you'll receive this anyway. I suppose you thought that l forgot my promise to write, but on the level, I've been on the go ever since l landed in this .and of sun, flowers, and hell"
 We are in the heavy artillery, and believe me. we got some fine guns. They weigh about - tons. but we weighed a ton. Everything is motor drawn. We can make good time on half way decent roads, but we get l hell on the soft ground. especially mud flats. We put caterpillar bands on the wheels every time we leave the hard road. and of course that gives us more of a bearing surface, but that don't always keep Us from getting stuck. Tine other day we were out 1 rnanoeuvering in a mud hole and we had to use two tractors with a double | four part tackle hooked up to the | capstan of both tractors to pull us out
 Some life, take it from me. l am | getting experiences that I never dreamed of, but I like it all first rate | and with all the little hardsnips ! never had so much fun in all my life Well, Otto. l suppose war has a more serious aspect in the States now, but no one would fully realize what that word means, unless they are over | here in France and see for themselves To tell the truth it looked like joke 1 to me once. but every day I put ir | lover here" l am learning just SC much more about the real dope. IT tell you one thing, and that is the 1 American spirit is certainly fine, anG it can't be beat by any other nations in the scrap. The French soldiers | themselves are surprised. They have an entirely different idea about those | kids from across the sea, for the1 lad more than one dose of American i lead, bayonets and grit. l was talk ing to couple of douShboys Cnfan- l trymen) the other evening. They were | wounded in a scrap a short time ant are in a hospital here. I asked one lad where he got hit. He opened LII | his blouse and showed me pretty ] little shrapnel wound in his shoulder | He said he didn't mind the wound SC much but what got his goat, was tha he got hit before he had a chance tt get boche. He said they got the or. der to go lover the top," and he jump. ed over with the rest and got abou | three yards from his own trench WheI | he felt something hit him in the shoul der, so hard that it threw m to thu ground. He found himself in l dress ing station back of the lines the fol | lowing morning, but believe me-, ht was a sore kid and he's just waitin; to go back so he can get squared up You see. Otto, that's only ar eXampl of the fine spirit the boys all hav over here. 1 could go on and tell yoI q lot of things that actually occur, bu it would tire your eyes reading an' probably I might say something am have MT. Censor jump on my neck.
 Well, Otto, old boy, how is every thing going on at the mill. Are yo' having any more fire drills" Yo know you used to be the main ginI at the fires. How is my old bos Tor coming on, and Ed Staubly Give m best regards to old Fred Pat Di1fle! Sanbourn, old Mike Sullivan, Cove and the whole gang. Oh, yes. old Pc Keys if he is there yet. Just tell hir I want to kno whow they are coming He'll know what I mean.
 Well, old boy, it's pretty near tim for chow, so I'll have to say au re voir for now. Don't forget to writ to a fellow once in a while.
 SERGT. ERNEST BARTOLUCC1, Battery D. 56th Artillery Regt, Amer
 ican Exp. Force, France.