Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-05-13
OUR BOYS
:. Write from -.
OVER THE f /:

Mrs. L. =. LltlleHeIu W ~" Po-
has recently received the following
letter from her son, Victor J. futile,
who is with the American Expedl-
tionary Forces in France. Mr.. Tut
tie is in Headquarters Co, 2Sth l. ,.
Infantry.
Somewhere in France. March 8, 1918.
My dear Mother:
1 have meant for some time to
write to you again but could not seem
to get at it. | was thinking today
we have been here over eight months
now. The time goes quick when one
is busy all the time and we certainly
have been. We had a pretty good
trip across the water. not much
rough sea. We were attacked by Ger
man submarines, but they were
driven off by navy destroyers and
one of them was hit, SO we had lit
tie excitement on the trip. I was glad
to be among the first troops to land
in France. We have not been on any
picnic since reaching here. however.
We are busy from morning until
night and sometimes nights; drilling.
hiking and maneuverS, trench war
fare, gas mask drills. hand grenades
and hundred other stunts these peo-
pie do over here.
| suppose you read of the fine can
tonments We have been quartered in,
this winter. Well we have been
sleeping in what they call "billets';
what | call them are sheds. barns,
and shachs, etc. what the Frenchmen
do not need to keep their cattle in, it
might he too cold for them. l sup
pose YOU have heard or read of
sunny France" well. We have not
spent the winter in that part of Eu :
rope and are not in it now. We have
walked up may mornings and found
snow on our blankets, and we have
had some pretty cold nights for
sleeping in open air shackS. | have
been in good health here. l did freeze
my big toe on the left foot, up in the
trenches a couple of months ago, and
! il bothered me little while. I think
! the worst Of the winter is over now
We had u couple of night air raids
from German airplanes in the town
we were hilleted in last fall but we
drove thnm off with machine guns
and air craft guns. We have been UP
/ to the front and in the trenches and
I back again a couple of times. | be-
lieve had rather be at the front line
on the job. than here training all the
time. For the present | am operating
a small cannon that we have to put
machine guns out of business The
gun is used with the infantry and VIC
have done some good work with it,
am paying for four Liberty Bonds
! merely mention this. Mother, so that
YOU will know in case I should ge,
bumped OFF,, which happens to a
lot of them on the front
| have received one or two letters
from You and the wristlets They
were addressed to Co. G.. / have
! been in Headquarters Co. ever since
coming to France. Mother, the wrist
ers were fine, nice and warm and knit
good and | thank you for them.
| received package from the
Newport Red Cross Auxiliary and
that was made up of wooden socks
mittens wristlets, etc, good pack
age. just what Il man needs over here
during the winter. | want YOU tc
thank whoever was responsible for
my getting that package and tell them
/ that | appreciate it very much.
/ | received letter from Rosa a few
days ago. You must have been glad
to have her at home. She must be
a fine girl and a smart one to get
around the States the way she does
You tell her that | was very glad tC
hear from her and | will try and
write her. When | come to think OF
/ it she wrote me or sent me some
thing a long time ago and I never did
write her, but | have always wanted
to hear from her. To tell the truth
/ YOU are the only one l have written
10 for long time now and to you
! not often.
How are Newell and Evelyn? !
! hope they are we'll and enjoying
! themselves. | suppose they both are
! learning a lot at school. How is Sid
ncy getting along these days. Hope
he has good health. Ask him how
he would like to make a spring drive
on the German trenches.
Well l suppose they have drafted a
| lot of mon through that section ]
am glad of it, they may get some OF