The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-04-26
in THE TRENCHES
SOUTH DAKOTA MEN WRITE OF
THEIR EXPERIENCES
"OVER THERE"

1ho'N "hH1t APA 49,
der fire in the trenches is referie ed
to as fun" by Carl Forsch, a South
Dakota soldier who now is serving
with the American expeditionry army
in France. Ia a letter to Bridgewa-
ter friends he writes:
1--WE are all feeling fine and hav-
ing all the fun we want. suppose
you know we have been in the
trenches, and we keep the boche
worrying, as he has not found US as
green as he thought" Referring to
the kindness of Bridgewater people
in forwarding tobacco and other ar
ticles, he writes: They surely do
not realize how much 1t helped us
and how much We enjoyed the things
sent. We could not get American
tobacco here at that time in any
amount, and we all smoke, as you
know. We certainly enjoyed the to-
bacco. Saw George Terrell (another
B~ridgewater boy a few days ago.
He is a signal man, and Billy Bowen
Is a first class private in the cap
tain's group rs a runner. l am in
the intelligence group, in which l
am intelligence police and scout; al
so a first class private. So you see
we are getting along fine. Have had
zine weather all winter and it's just
like summer now"
Louis Westfall, a young man from
Lead, who is in the navy serving on
a submarine chaser. writing to his
parents in Lead, a y in part:
I'VE had some swell trip, but
most everybody let out a yell when
land was sighted, about 1880 this
morning (April A.. We left New
London Easter evening and the first
lay out we ran into a little wind. so
had a chance to Sc what these boats
we hit the gulf stream. and it didn't
take long to throw off the sweaters
and get into the whites. 1t was a
dandy trip; the only bad part of 1t
was that the cook was sick and we
had to live on sandwiches most of
the time. Most of the were
sick, but I wasn't bothered much
after the first day. so had my hands
full at the wheel"
Oscar Johnson, of Centerville. has
received an interesting letter from
his brother, who Is serving with the
American army in France. He
writes In part:
II received a letter from you some
time ago asking what I wanted a re-
volver for. Well, I sure don't want
it to commit suicide with. You don't
iced a revolver for that over here.
All you need to do Is to stand up in
No Mans Land and you'll never
know what hit you. A revolver is
he greatest thing a soldier has when
ne is in the trenches. I carried a As
raliber automatic myself.
I'VE are back now on a few days
rest from the front. I have expert
enced a barrage fire. gas and being
rniped at. We also had a couple OF
battles with~the crowned head We
nave manufactured some new dance
steps that you can puzzle over. A
few are as follows: Dugout. in two
step; barrage life, French step, barb
wire tangle, grenade wiggle, etc
They are a hard step to master un-
less you are under fire.
THE music for the first two are
a short whistle and a bang; the Sec
ond two. just a ping. and the third,
a sizzle and a bang. I'll explain
these to you some day II I am alive.
I almost omitted a very interesting
incident that took place. On our re-
turn from the front we stopped at
a town over night and three of us
went down to a cafe and ordered up
two dozen fried eggs, three steaks
and French fried spuds. Some feed!
Then we rented a feather bed. Some
hedp'