Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-01-29
KNOX KREUTZER IN FRANCE
France. Dec. 20. 1918.

France, Dec 20, 1918.
Knox KreutAer is now somewhere
in France having successfully made
the trip across the water in Decem-
Der. Among the good things which
haze fallen to him since he departed
was his promotion to the position OF
Battalion Sergeant Major, and IS
signed to division headquarters for the
present. The Pilot joins in congrat-
ulations.
From a letter written to his parents,
received last Thursday, the Pilot is
permitted to make extracts, which will
be of interest to our readers, viz.
ION the ship we had really fine
times. 1t was not society woman's
tea party by any manner OF means.
AS we are regular enlisted men we
were quartered with the regular troops
| that were on board. 1t was quite
some different from my apart
ments at the Bradford in Washing
| ton But really, it was an experience
that l would not have missed for any
| thing in the world. There we were
in the same ship with regular sol
diers, quartered the same as they
l
much different from my former frater-
nifty house lodgings. But it really was
all very interesting; in fact, much
more so, it was the education OF my
| life time, one which will and should
stand me in good stead all the rest
of my life Most of the men among
those regulars were hardened and sea-
soned old soldiers of years standing
| but they were all essentially men; men in
| acts and thought as we'll as men in
perspection. 1t was indeed a great
revelation to me to be among them
| to know them, and to live with them
| | met one man in particular with
whom | was to bunk before | fixed
| it up to bunk with Hamilton Dyck-
man. This man was one of those big
| great-hearted, unselfish souls, dia-
| mond in the rough, so to speak. He
was a good type of the regular Amer
| lean soldier, rough and ready, but al
ways kindly at heart.
| Then there were many college men
/ among them as regular enlisted men
taking what came to them in a philo-
sophical way, and evidently en-
| joying the life generally-judging
| from their physical condition.
1t was a great life. l can not tell
due. to the censor's responsibility, OF
the hardships that came to me. There
were many, l can assure you. II
seemed peculiar to have my Williams
| college friend, Dud c., as an officer
on the same ship, travelling first class
and me travelling good old steerage
but it's all in the game. His rank en-
titled him to what he got and amint
to what l had.
We landed at big English por
of entry from where | cabled you. From
this port, where we landed OF
Christmas eve, we journeyed tt
another English port for embark
alton to France. What a Christ
mas eve! l will, in a small way, TT,
to picture it to you:
Landed at noon. We were al
marched Immediately to the train, /;
troop train, where we were fairl.
comfortably located, both officers ant
men. We received some hot coffee AM
sandwiches at a station enroute du,
to the good and ever kindly thought
fulness of our Major Straight l
was memorable Christmas eve, Ger
tainly. A very long train load o
cars, upon cars, and more cars. w
sang, ETC., sang some more; talke,
much of where we would otherwis
be on that certain evening, if w
had not been where we were, AM
where we wanted to be.
Finally at about l 80 a. m. on Christ
mas day, we arrived at our port O
embarkation for France From Their
we were marched to the REST Camp,
where we were to be for the night
A REST Camp" is a concentration
camp for men at leave in that coun
try. We slept under tents, Canvas
and after waiting an hour, drew on
blankets to sleep under 1t wa
mighty cold, being December as 20,
will realize. The tents were nothin;
but canvas with no stoves and abou
ten men in each tent.
| Next Morning, Christmas day, we re
turned our blankets and marched bacl
to the station, where we embarked 70
France in the late afternoon, on
cross-channel cattle boat, which ha,
evidently transported load of horse
just previously. You know ships ar
scarce. We were put in the cattl
4 (
few of us bribed one of the boat
crew and got his bunk, which wa
more comfortable.
The night finally passed AM
morning found us in the French por
of Decentralization. Here we were dis
embarked and marched to anothe
Rest Camp" very much the sam
as the other. 1t was equally cold an
equally the same as that of England.
Sergeant Major Keasly and | man
aged to keep fairly warm by puttin
our blankets together and sleepinj
together
We arrived at the "Rest Camp" a
about midnight, our officers makin
arrangements to get us some hot tea
etc, after we arrived. Got to be-
at about 1870 a. M, and were route
out by an orderly or guard at 4 90 a. N
same morning.
We marched back that morning,
cold December morning, for five mile
to the station, where we caught GU
train for Paris. 1t took us about ST
hours to reach there. Maio
Straight, again thinking of our com
fort. had arranged for us to b
quartered at the Y. NJ. C. A. hotel, an
that is where we went, to comfortabl
quarters here, in fact, most palatia
compared to what we had been in 70
the previous four days. Here we hav
been given liberty to go about and Sc
the city, and get into condition 70
work. Last evening we went an,
saw an excellent American (semi a
least) musical comedy with Cab,
Deslys and her American husband. |
was one of the most novel sight
have ever witnessed. 1t wa
| mostly in French but very infer