El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-27
LIFE IN TRENCH
NOT PLEASANT
American Soldier, Return
ed From the Front, Re
lates Experience.

balLlmore I'D, May Zl.-SergL
Floyd H. Clark. wounded in France
and invalided home to Fort McHenry
hospital today told the story Of the
men Gen. Pershing led TO France as
the vanguard Of the american expe
dictionary force
"Weu, boy, want 10 tell you Is is
the pretuest place in the world where
we landed ln France he said. -It
looks just like a picture, q hand
painted picture. II is the peetllest
town I ever want 90 see.
1--WE were at that camp j. days and
while we did quite a lot Of drilling,
we got liberty GO go back 10 the town
and we began TO learn their lingo
They wouldn't let us spend much
money and at that time they cidn
know how much money we got, 50
prices were cheap They thought lle
soldiers got the same pay as their
soldiers. and they DIDN'T start TO senu
the prices up for some time.
Country Beautiful.
well we got the kinks cut Of our
selves during tthe two weeks We
STAYED at that camp. I guess there
must Of been more men coming over.
because one night we got the Wcru
to be ready to move on the next day
two DAYS and two nights on the road
and must have gone about 40 miles
IL was a swell trip. The country
looked great 10 that time OF the year
and we were loaded down with flow
ers all the time
1--WE went into camp at
which is about four miles behind the
front line trenches We were Dill
leted I'm barns and stables from SAT-
urdav until Monday night, when we
took our first trick in the trenches
Our division was feeling fine ano
they all wanted 20 get enanee al
fighting right away
There were four regiments in our
crowd and one battalion from each
regiment was sent up In the IrsL re-
lief 1Iy battalion was chosen rom
the regiment We had about 5000
men going up the first time we TOOK
up a front about q mile long.
Muddy Trenches.
Gwen. there was some groauinE
when we found what kind OF trenches
they had handed us. They had mud
up 20 your shoetops and they we're
iousier than a cuckoo we went ln AZ
night and spent the first Few hours
dugouts are shored up with timoers
and that's where you spent lot OF
time They were the lousy places
they were so alive with lice that tney
almost moved
-This first trip in the trenches was
only for ten days. But we were gao
to get the rest, when 7 came llue lp4
1s TO be relieved We wanted the
chance TO get a bath. When you 80
u for only ten days you only carry
one outfit fn- that Is, you only have
lne suit Of underwear When you 60 T
b. for a longer stay you carry Two /
suits The extra suit you keep
aud che lice
yet in it-that is, not many of them
Close TO the German.
@our trenches were only 500 yards /
way from the Fritzies and we could I
see them fine. During our stay IN /
here we got a chance TO try soms /
shooting but there wasn't mqeh 90 /
ne except the shelling from the Ger
nan trenches. in our battalion IN /
hat stay we lost 16 men killed and /
vornded Two OF them were killed I
lv snipers' bullets and the other seven .
81 artillery fire
'Its q funny thing about Llal sAe-l-
ng About the first day we were
lr1c7-fn~ an the time. whenever we
leard a shell come over We an
wanted 20 know where j. struck Az
er about the first Gay we got so usea
% Do that we'd never even look
round 70 see where 10 went Most or
he Smelling was donl early in the
IIlLLlLIl- or AaAE 4AA AAA- HHaAAra-a7H
irst the most OF us had the shakes
somewhat ToS felt all quiTery All
,ver and YOU couIdn't stop, no matter
That you thought about
Poor stoves.
@Our dugouts had little French
.toves in them Them French stoves
int worth a damn. OF course We
lsed 'em and sometimes they DID
lrettv well The trouble was that
he smokestack has 20 be run out the
Io0r Of the dugout. and when the
wind blows that way It blows the
molze right back into the dugout and
6 runs you right out into the trench
'-It was pretty wet and uncom1ort-
.ble q lot Of the time But, boy.
want 10 tell you, I'd rather be ln tne
renches any day than drilling.
I'VE had one gas attack. Half the
nen were on guard and half asleep
When the patrol runs in and wakes
IS up and makes as put on our masks 1
-rro OF our men we're knocked out by
he Gas. but they recovered
"WeI. we went back TO our oiLlets
. trucks, and &c was while we were
ack there that 7 got shot in the loot I
When a rifle went off II blew hole
q my foot Something got into i ana
{ DONE seem 70 heal very fast 4hey
Ut of my little toe. took out the
one and used the toe 20 plug Up the
ole. I guess ct viii do fine IL il
ont grow a toenau on the bottom OF
nv FOOT"