The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-12-20
Letter from Milbank Boy
Donald Thomas Writes Of His Expert.
enCe and Observation in France

The following letter, published
in the Aberdeen Sunday American,
is from one of our Milbank boys,
Donald Thomas, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. W. Nj. Thomas of this city.
and is an interestinga glimpse of
Donald's experience and observa-
tion as a soldier in France, written
after the armistice had been signed:
Tours. France
Sunday November l7th, 1918.
Dear All; Even nature seems to
be smiling because peace and vic
tory have come. | consulted nv
diary and for a year ago | find the
entry Rain. rain, rain. And
how it did rain then! Now what
contrast. Today was clear, crisp
cool, with scarcely cloud in the
sky, and tonight the full moon
shines with splendor that makes
it possible almost to read news
paper by it's light. Of course |
couldn't stay indoors on such day
as this and | had very interesting
afternoon Of it. But before | tell
you Of that | must go back to Fri
day ght and tell you of my eA-
perience.
On Friday the municipal thea
tera great, massive stone and
marble structure that only on rare
occasions at least has had produced
within it anything less serious than
drama or opera-resounded with
the laughter Of several hundred
happy American soldiers, whose
mirth was produced by typical
American ''black- face vaudeville
show. The troop, which was COM
posed Of some l8 or 20 players and
a band was called the "Blois Revue
so named because the players were
assembled at Blois at which place
all American soldiers who have been
wounded are classified after being
released from the hospitals. The
company is touring the A. E. F.
and profits go to the French Red
Cross, but | imagine that they
were doing it as much for their
own enjoyment as anything else
and incidently furnishing lot of
dough boys with a lot Of enjoy
ment and reminder of home. All
the principals were fellows who had
served on the big time vaude-
vile circuits in the States,and the
star, prominent performer at the
N. ". Winter Garden so you see
that they were professionals and all
had done their bit in the Army and
| presume in the trenches, and thus
knew all the humor of Army life.
They had lot of good songs and
dialogues and succeeded in keeping
everybody in an uproar most of the
evening Added to this most every
one was still under the spell of the
JOY caused by the signing of the ar
mistice 80 you can conceive what a
good time we had.
This afternoon l set out intend
ing to take walk out to the famed
Salvage plant at st. Pierre-de-
Corps. Outside the gate bought
a daily paper and walked down to
the park and sat down to read for q
few minutes. had sat there per-
haps ten or fifteen minutes enjoy
ing the pleasant afternoon sun
when heard a band.
A few minutes later the 18th
regiment of marines band came in
to view leading two platoons OF
Marines, between which were car
ried the Stars and Stripes and the
Marines flag. The music was stir.
ring and the sight Of Old Glory un-
furled sent q little thrill down one 8
spine. OF course | in company
with a great many others, Joined
and followed.
Then the band struck up "On-
ward Christian Soldiers" and then
it was that it occurred to me that
the march was toward the Cathe-
,dral of st. Martin, where, as | had
been told, the ceremony Of blessing
the fla9s OF the Allies was to take
place that afternoon. This it prov
ed to be.
Arriving at the cathedral we
found the street almost packed with
neonle. Soldiers were given pref
erence, however. and was fortun'
ate enough to secure . place Tor
ward in the nave, down the center
Of which the Marines had already
formed double line with an aisle
between. The space behind me VI
quickly packed with people. and ~
chairs had been removed. u th<
few minutes that remained before
the service began | studied tn
great building. Il more resembles
go 4 n y