The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-08-24
Program to Be Rendered at Soldiers
Home Sunday at O'clock.
LETTER FROM GUY HARMON
Gives Insight into Conditions at
Front in France.

Gives Insight into Conditions at
Front in France.
Mr. and Mrs. F. l. Harmon nave
received the following letter from
their SON. Guy, who is dental assis-
iant with the American troops in
France
Dearest Mother, Dad and Granny:
Please pardon for not writing you
sooner but simply couldn't as events
have crowded upon one another in
such rapid succession of late that it
has been impossible. We have been
on the move almost every day for we
are in the big drive and our infantry
has been advancing SO rapidly that
ii IS almost impossible to keep up
with them The Boche are still on the
run but not so rapidly as before, due
20 the bringing up Of powerful re-
serves. However their great counter
attack has been stopped and We are
all happy though mighty tired due to
our sudden jumps and "one night
stands ! have seen more and had
more events crowded into my life
these past seven days than | ever had
in seven years back home. Some Of
The things | have seen are too hor-
rible to mention.
The Boche have lost heavily and as
past over the battle fields ! saw
them lying in rows and in all posi-
tions and conditions. 1t would make
your heart sick to look at them, for
we have past over the ground so rap
idly that We have had no time to bury
them. hardly time to bury our own
boys and the French.
Our artillery did terrible execution
and is the wonder of all the allied
armies. Everything in its path is
moved, forests, walls, roads and vii
lagos. was in one village which
was captured and recaptured three
times before our boys finally won it,
There is not house left standing and
it is an awful scene of destruction.
The dead lie about on every hand.
The roads are all Uttered with all
kinds of equipment, dead horses, brok
en- caissons, canon machine guns, un-
exploded shells rifles, blown.up-es-
eort wagons, hand grenades, German
potato mashers' and the dead them
selves. The smell along the roads is
awful too, such stencil that you al
most want to put on your gas mask
You can imagine how weird ii is at
night. Dantes Inferno can't begin to
compare with all have seen The
world knows now that the Americans
can fight Fight is their middle
names. have seen loads of Boche
prisoners and have talked with many
IF them. They say the Americans
10 not know enough to give in. that
hey never surrender What more
could you ask2e We are at station
for little time now, for how long |
10 not know but night after night
another chap and myself have been
going through the houses and dug
outs which the Germans have evacu-
lted. ! wish you could see the city
hey had to leave They are the
worst yandals God ever gave the
/ breath of life to- Beautiful homes
and chateaus sacked from cellar to
garrett Everything the people owned
'trewn about the house, pictures torn
from the walls beautiful oil paintings
slashed with knives, furniture broken
md the upholstering cut with their
Jayonets. Ink bottles thrown against
The walls and marked all over with
pictures and German curses on the
lilies. Beautiful plate glass mirrors
mashed, dishes broken and even
mattresses cut open and the contents
itrewn about the rooms Pure van
dalism, nothing else can describe 1t
They looted every house, shop and
building in the city Every street is
fortified and barricaded and they
ought for every inch of ground they
ost but finally had to eyacuate.
could write a book on the things
have seen ! have gathered quite
4 collection Of Boche souvenirs anC
am now sending you a shoulder stral
cut from the coat of Boche long since
Tod fur der Vaterand." This frs
sheet OF paper is written on German
writing paper appropriated in a Ger
man dugout am also sending yol
tonight a shawl and a piece Of tapes
Try ! found in one of these dugout
which no doubt the Boche looted iron
a sloro and then left in such a hurr,
they didn't have time TO take it will
them We found loads of stuff thi
, way. Let me know when you receiv
g.,
My love to Wrle and aunt and m
knidest to all of my friends Wit
{ kindest to all of my friends, wit
prayers for your happiness and goo