Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-11-22
From Raw Recruit
To Seasoned Soldier
Continued from page one)

careful ano keep his helmet on as bits
of bursting shells alight around when
these planes are passing over, Fritz is
just about as poor shot as I ever saw
we stand revelle about two hours here
long before daylight Fritz sent over a
little perfume the other night, when
you are sleeping gently it's a great
thing for something to come silently
creep ng in to grip you by the throat |
smell, it is not all gloom in the army
as we also have lots of fun, one sees
lots Of things that are a scream, as
night before last one fellow dur ng a
gas alarm was wandering around in
the brush with his mask on, he had
the bad luck to stumble and fall down
on arising he found to his sorrow he
had salvaged the seat of his trousers,
and oh yes l forgot we are not striped
for fighting and have only one suit,
the one we have on and just now it is
impossible to get any more. Fritz
layed about hundred shells down this
morning to wake US up, its was not
needed, we were up.
I can not help but ADMIT Ike it
here, would not miss this FOR worlds
we wash in shell holes and they are
thicker than flies and mostly full OF
water, it rains all day end mostly all
night just stops to get fresh start
I have plenty of real estate attached
to me; can very easily acquire any
amount I wish. The peasants are
cultivatmg land four miles from here.
We are all very happy and shells don't
keep US from sleeping. We can hear
them coming; sounds like an express
tt ain in hurry and large detonation
as it strikes. We can see shells
burst in the air above US. One cf
our Sergeants was struck by a small
piece last night, he IS preserving it
for a souvenir. All water has to be
sterilized as most of it is poisoned
I received Dads little book yesterday
and could not have reviewed a better
gift. l won't write you any more
just now, but can tell you lots in q
week from now l think as l will by
that time have been lover the top
We are all anxious to go. | noted
in most of the villages l have beer
IN the Germans have spared the
churches. Other buildings are com
p1ete ruins the only kind of perma
nent life 1 saw around one village
was swallows nest. Which has
built its nest in one corner of {
wrecked building it offered quite ;
contrast, it S a hard thing to get writ
ing paper just now, don't know
where there is Y. M. C. A. sup
pose there will be one around her
sometime We get regular ratiol
of tobacco. l don't smoke so hav
no use for mine. We put up wit
lots of. hardships here. We hike
over 35kilometers with heavy pack
one night, It's rough on rats. I hav
left half of my clothes they were t
follow me but Heaven only know
where they are. It's great to be o
the front. I have holes in my sock
and my leggins are torn where I fe
over some barbed wire entanglemen
there are barrels of mud in our hous
and no where to put it. There ar
some dugouts but useless to me. w
have no fires so when you get We
you just dry out and our tent leak
l have not cussed much yet as it don
do any good it won't stop the leak an
it is sure raining and leaking now an
the hardest thing l ever tried to j
was to keep my gun from gettin
rusty without any oil as | told yo
once before carry around trust
and rusty gun and sometimes
crouch, and I am hoping my ha,
boiled hat won't leak. I don't cal
- if it does get rusty.
Hoping you will find this is file
with nothing, remain as ever yol
cousin,
Pvt. C. L. Gray,
1862 Inft. Co. A! A. P. o. 776 A. E.
via N. Y.