Abilene weekly reflector., 1918-12-26

I was learning to operate an mir
craft machine gun which shoots 2o'
shots In minute, the field artillery
il certainly an interesting bunch o.
service. am hoping to see you be
fore many months Christmas greet
ings 10 all.
"a "a "a
Mr.. and Mrs. w. S. Miller received
telegram from their son, Roscoe
who IS IN the regular army, announc
ing his safe arrival at Camp Mills,
N. Y, from overseas service in
France.
Fa ~ n
Lane Latimer, musician on the
Utah, which sailed from Norfolk, Va,
August so, writes to his mother, rms.
L. e. Latimer:
Having little time this morning
and thinking you would like letter
from me about Christmas time (toi II
will he that when 1t reaches you
suppose)I will write you few lines.
The censorship has been lifted 80
can tell you little more than usual
This Bay has been our base ever
since we have been on this side. We
have been going out to sea and meet
ing from eight to ten troop ships four
or FIVE hundred miles out each time
and conveying them into port. This
place was hotbed of trouble during
the war as this was headquarters of
the Sein Feiners and as you know
they were in league with the Ger
mans.
Just a little way from here both
the Lusitania and Tuscanic were sent
to the bottom by the German subs.
Whenever we were out on duty no
lights were on above water line and
every man was at his battle station
night and day. No one was allowed to
sling a hammock, but lay on deck
fully dressed with life preserver on,
even when not on duty. 1t was tick
lish business but fun at that. By the
18th OF December we will have been
In active service In the war zone 3
months and will be allowed to wear
a little chevron of gold braid on our
left sleeve, just above the cuff and
those wounded wear 1t on the right
arm. / was sure fortunate to get on
such good ship and TO see active
service This ship is $40 feet long,
SO feet wide and draws % feet of
water. $4,000 tons displacement and
has II boilers, burning both oil and
coal and developing 2S,000 horse
power and makes % knots an hour.
She has four 81 inch torpedo tubes,
ten IL inch guns. 16 five inch and 2
anti aircraft guns 81 there are, and
ten one Founders, crew of 1,4OO
men. Some floating fortress isn't 1t?
We, with the Nevada, Oklahoma,
(both larger than we are) and the
North Dakota make the sixth division
of the Atlantic fleet. We are to es
cort President Wilson on his tour Of
the allied countries. We are taking
on oil this morning and will get un-
der way for an English navy yard to-
morrow.
Our football team was to play
the Oklahoma for championship Of
this division but they got cold feet
and forfeited the game to us. We had
over ten thousand dollars on it. 1
wish they had played.
expect to be home some time this
spring on a furlough. | sure would
like to see you all. I have not been
sick a day and l weigh 14S pounds.
only weighed 1913 you know when ]
enlisted. SO you see l have gained
some
70 ~ E1
Evan Markley has returned from
Baldwin. where he has been mem
Der of the S. A. T. G. at Baker.
- "a "a
Ralph Gray, who has just received
his discharge from Camp Dodge, Ia,
is visiting at the home of Mrs. l.. A.
Day.
Es, "a FA
Sgt. Wilbur Nicolay Is home from
Camp Funston on an extended fur
Tough.
n pa "a
A wire from Corp George Keel,
from Greenhut hospital In New York
City, says he will not be home until
after Christmas. He says the boys
are all feeling fine and can have any
thin0 fbov want I'm NaW York