Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-01-15
LETTERS FROM SOLDIER BOYS

The following letters have been re-
ceived by l.. A. Pradt, president of
the American Red Cross Chapter of
this county acknowledging Christ
mas packets sent out. There are
many very appreciative letters which
have been received but only a small
number are published and these are
from the various departments of the
army, showing how widely the pack
cts were distributed. These letters
are very interesting:
Somewhere on the Atlantic
Dec. rs, IT.
Dear Mr.. Pradt:
l don't believe I can fully express
my appreciation and thanks for your
Red Cross box, though l don't be-
lieve | have or can receive anything
that gives or can give me greater
pleasure.
l burroughed right through to the
bottom OF the box and found this
tablet and decided to let you know
that your present was received.
1t is wonderful work that the
people, through the Red Cross, are do
ing for us soldiers and sailors. A
stick OF gum or a cake of soap from
home, anywhere in the u. S., is bet
ter than a carton of either that we
are able to buy
We are in the middle of the worst
storm we've encountered. 1t is snow
ing and blowing, and the seas are
coming over the fo'c'sle, washing the
deck, but down below it is warm
and comfortable though we are rock
ing like a cork
I'm from Grand Rapids, Mich, near
neighbors, and there are many more
aboard from there. We have many
friends at Great Lakes from home
| too.
We had splendid dinner today. I'm
wondering what kind of dinner the
boys in the trenches had. We had
celery soup, turkey, oyster dressing
sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes
| bread, celery, olives, oranges, candy
nuts, coffee and cigars.
| trust you had pleasant Christ
mas and that the New Year will FIND
you with a fresh spirit and new vigo1
to face the years work.
| With many thanks, am,
Very sincerely yours,
| ALEXANDER T. McFADYEN.
U. S. S. Iowa, A-3 Division, care Of
| Postmaster, n. Y, N. Y"
"U. S. S. Iowa, care of Postmaster
New York, Dec. 20, 1917.
Mr.. L. A. Pradt, Chairman Amer. Rec
| Cross, Wausau, Wis.
Dear Sir:
| take the utmost pleasure in &C
knowledging the receipt of the gift
which was presented to me through
the kindness and generosity of thu
society of which you are chairman.
Words OF thanks to you, one and all
cannot express my inward feelings O
appreciation, and all I can hope for
is that through our combined efforts
with the blessings from our Almighty
Father above, that we will all shar,
and rejoice in that decisive and in
evitable future-''Victory Nothin,
short of this victory will ever stoJ
our onward rush of, "Over There.
With our splendid armies of nationa
soldiers, our magnificent up to dat,
Men-of-war; with the indispensable ali
of our famous Red Cross society, sure
ly these efforts combined with ours
shall spell no other word than "Vic
tory" and "Americanism" forever.
Will now state that l am Just ;
plain sailor employed as a fireman
Familiarity known by the navy term
"as one in the black gang" The blacl
gang (not like the gunners,) do theil
fighting far below the waters sur
face-hard steaming boilers, hot ma
chinery parts, overcoming leaks
break-downS, etc.
We have a real fine crew of mer
on board the Iowa. Most of them re
side at different parts of the state O
Michigan; few from New York state
some from the state of Ohio, and ;
very few from Minnesota, includins
myself
The gifts were given out the fol
lowing day after Christmas, amid tn,
selected music of our ships band. w,
marched down the aisle in single fill,
on the port side of the berth deck
where each was handed a packag,
by an officer in charge. Some of thu
packages differed from others in re
spect to contents, but / will truthful.
assert that every one was more thar
pleased with what was sent then
from the different societies, orders
and lodges.
Wishing yourself and those whom
you represent as chairman, a mos
| Prosperous New Year, I again thanl
you all, most heartily.
Respectfully yours,
HENRY A. DAHL.
| Somewhere on the Atlantic.'''