The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-08-22
TAMPA MAN is HURT IN FRANCE
Seems to Indicate That South Flor
ida Men Are at the Front
Tampa Times)


is now with Co., K, l03rd Inf. A. E. F.,
has been wounded slightly and gassed
in France, according to letter his
wife received yesterday He was
with the boys from Camp Wheeler
and left about July for overseas
service. His wife had no idea that
he had gone to the front. Indica.
tons are that most all the Camp
Wheeler boys are probably in action
now as Don Freeman from Mulberry
has been wounded and he was with
the Plant City company and along
with the Tampa boys of G and H
companies. This is the second boy
from that company to receive wounds
according to information given The
Times.
Mrs. Worth said this morning she
had not been notified from Washing.
ton as yet concerning her husbands
wounds and the letter from him was
the first information they had re.
ceived. He thought she would have
been informed through Washington
and feared he was reported killed as
he had a very close call.
| She received four letters yesterday
and one of the letters mentioned that
he was wounded in the back by a
machine gun, but he took particular
pains to tell her that because he was
shot from the rear didn't mean he
was running from the Germans He
also received shrapnel wound and
wrote that his back was badly
| bruised. He said when he came to
he was at the first relief station and
all his clothing had been cut off and
he had nothing left but his blanket.
The letter telling of his dose from
the Huns follows:
Somewhere in France, July "a, 1918.
My Dear Wife: Well, guess YOU
folks are all up in the air by this
time for | guess nyou have been
been notified that | have been picked
off the limb, but there isn't any use
to worry for by the time this letter
reaches you | will be up and my way
rejoicing, for | am not hurt very bad.
They are sure using me pretty fast
after l wrote you that last letter;
they sent us to camp and we stayed
there one day and then were put in
an outfit that was on the firing line
and of course that pleased me very
much. So we started out that night,
ran into some gas and the captain
folded us that we would go over the
top the next morning, and what 1t
took to 60 over we had it, and that
moving picture wasn't in it for &C.
ton. never thought that l would
get in the real thing when | was in
it. was out in no mans land when
machine gun cut loose at me, and
talk about getting under the ground,
well sure did 1t and 1t sure is a
pleasant sound, lying down there with
those things singing over your head.
| got my little package the second
time we were over. first got hit in
my thumb with shrapnel and had
started to the rear to the first aid
station, when sniper got after me
with a machine gun and had duck
behind wall and a big shell landed
near me and threw big piece of rock
On my back and was out for while
and pretty soon a fellow came by and
took me to the first aid and it was
easy going from there on.
The Red Cross was sure good to
us. They gave us hot chocolate, Gig
arettes, every place we stopped and
they have just come in and gave us
all a comfort bag and it would re.
mind you Of Xmas times. Some of
the boys got some little whistles and
they are sure raising the dickens
with Them they are worse than two.
year-olds, They are about as good as
the one the folks fixed up for me.
They just came by and issued me
Pill about the size of dollar, and I |
am feeling sea sick.
You know, the boys kept together
pretty we'll; there are II of us in the
same company and it makes it pretty
nice. Most all of the boys were try.
ing to get in the truck company, but
pal of mine said we would let them
tut us where they wanted us, and