The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-10-25
LETTERS FROM THE
BOYS IN ARMY CAMPS


Somewhere in France, October
IA. 191S.-I am in a hospital in
$3.50 a. m, September %, was
shot five times by hun ma
chine gun. four times in both of
my legs and once in my head They
are all flesh wounds and are not SER
ious. Tell all the folks not to worry
about me that | will recover and be
as good as ever.
Well l am laying in my bed writ
ing this so will make it asshort note
Tell mother that / will be o. X. soon
and the way things look will be with
you again soon. Love to all, Emil
Rolf
France, September 23-Dear Folks:
Received your birthday greeting Sat
urday, Ethel, which reminded me that
/ am one year older.
l have been fortunate on this side
as well as at home for have attended
two special course schools and spent
five weeks on detached service, been
completely across France twice and
in many good sized cities. Have not
as yet visited Paris: somehow have
been unable to get closer than five
miles, but surely will get there before
it is all over.
This diversity of duty has enabled
me to see great deal more of France
than would have been possible had
| stayed with the battalion.
We are in the front lines and have
been here for some time; excitement
runs high continually; narrow escapes,
yes, miracles are an every day occur
renee We have lost few men, but
that of course, although hard luck, is
to be expected This may sound as
though | am immune from nervous
ness or fright when all sorts of eX-
plosives are bursting all around, but
l am not-being mere man"
feel like lodging which of course would
do no good and often | remember
with a sort of longing Mankato and
its safe and sane policy. But let me
say right here our spirits are high
and we have our jokes and fun just
the same. Not a single man is ever
heard complaining.
There is such thing as getting
used to danger" and really, I have.
for / can go right along with my work
now and let the shells burst" whore
they will. There are many things be-
yond description-but let your imagin-
alton rove a little and YOU will have
small conception of what the Yam
kee boys are contending with. Bull
lets, shells or gas do not stop them.
The chief difficulty the officer eX-
periences is to prevent his men from
going too fast. such is their ardor,
zeal and courage.
You people back home don't seem
wiling to let us boys enjoy this war in
our own way for dear mothers are
still telling Jack" and pete" to keep
their feet dry. wear wool sox and not
to sleep on the damp ground. They
mean well. dear souls and it almost
breaks fellows heart not to mind
his mother but really it is quite i'm
possible to obey all these instruc
tons.
Good old letters about every day
happenings-the simple stories of
COW, dog or cat, the common place
doings of old familiar characters
which the boys remember so well are
the ones that bring roar, even your
pal next to you get in on that kind
and his heart as well as yours beats
bit faster and is bit warmer, lit
with the light that never fails-the
home glow
You no doubt received the news of
our advances and captures, but isn't
it the best news you ever heard? And
if you could only see it done! -,
are heroes by the thousa''"~ cry day
and exceptional "o'r - bravery are
as common as kaiser sympathizers in
that notorious town in Brown county.
have a new job now-effective to-
day-Battalion Gas officer. You know
gas is our worst enemy weapon and
my duty is to give officers and men
means and projections against it. l
have had special preparation for my
duties and, believe me, | know lot
about the stuff, too. l like the task;
am most deeply interested in it. 1t is
nearer "the skids" as I find both
methods of good bye" greeting me,
but it is scientific job and immense
ly interesting.
Do you know / am peeved! One or
two faithful friends send me a letter
on an average about once month
and outside of those | seldom get
letter while some of the fellows have
stack of fifteen or twenty unloaded
at their mail box. The custom of
waiting for a letter before you write
is o. K. in the states but you can't
possibly follow that rule with men in
the army and have them feel that you
care at all about their happiness.
Of course, admit, that mail has
good chance of not getting to the ad-
dressee but some fellows get good
wad and others none at all and in
the same outfit. If you folks only
knew what mail means to us,
Ask some of the folks who knew me
and liked me even little bit to send
me a communique at least 7 am get
ting desperate. Ask them also to do
the same thing for every other fellow
whom they know in the service.
know l was never much for sociability
but I would like little news of
things / remember.
Perhaps have exceeded my author
ity and made too much of a demand
I am all right, getting along fine, but
mail day which was today, gets my
goat! / just get in from a twenty
four kilometer walk, raining hard all
day, dugout warm with a good fire
and no mail. Somebody just re-
marked: 81 go twelve letters jim
L,,S ol.A