Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-10-03
STILL IN THE HOSPITAL
BUt Under the Care of Excellent
Nurses Is Gradually Improving.

son, Bruce, recently. HIS letter rs or
interest to our readers, so we re-
print it as follows:
Somewhere in France.
September 4th, 1918.
Dear Ones at Home:
Well, | win try and write you a
few lines this evening TO let you
know I'm still alive and am well as
can be. My wound is about all
| healed and l will be going back to
! Co. f. 16Sth some of these days.
l hope that you got the pocket
book | sent you that the bullet went
through and hit me. | think if it
hadn't been for that in my pocket
wouldn't be writing here now.
Well. we had a fishing picnic
party this evening and we sure had
fine time, but we didn't get any
fish, only what we took with us in
can. We sure had lot TO eat.
My, but everything in the line of
fruit is high over here. 1t seems
that men don't lose time over here.
We made As francs, or better, 50 to
$40. Before long of casual pay.
Haven't been paid for four months.
Say Mamma, / drew some money
out of the bank. will send it back
when | get to the company. Have
you been getting the last I sent
home? | sent it about the Goth of
June. The writing from the bank
sure helped me out. How is the
price of everything. Have you sold
any of the horses? My but l wish l
was home helping. know you folks
are working yourselves to death and
getting nothing for it. Why don't
you take a vacation once in while.
| sure have had lots of expert
ence and get to see lots of different
things over here. If ever get home
won't take a good deal for the ex-
perience l have had. How is every
body around Union. ! haven't seen
any of the seven since the 26th of
July. / saw Ward l.. and Carl c.
at the field hospital. They told me
to get on one ambulance and they on
another because they were gassed.
I just got to holler at them. !
don't know just where the company
is now.
oh. yes, was talking to Captain
Ross a while back. He sent his best
regards to you all. I suppose you
see by the papers what the boys are
doing over here. l sent the Stars
and Stripes home the other day. I
happened to hear Audubon county.
Iowa, and | got to enquiring and /
found that one of the officers was
from there and who do you think /
met? Capt. Carl Forsbeck, 525th En-
gineers. Papa surely knows him.
He may write a few lines to you
when he censors this letter.
We have good bunch of nurses
here and I have had good time.
It is more like home, take a bath
whenever you want to, white sheets
to sleep between. l am still X. p.
(kitchen police) get the grub and
bring it to the persons in bed.
1t is nice to get in with the nurses.
You know I helped in the house so
| much at home that it comes in handy
| over here. Well, guess it is about
| bed time. 1t is raining now ! hope
! this finds you all we'll May God
bless you all is my prayer. Don't
worry. Your\son,
| Bruce Benton.
| Dear Mrs. Benton:
You have very nice son, and we
all think a great deal of him. Don't
ever worry about him. as he sure is
capable of taking care of himself.
! 1t is a. M. Thursday morning,
and he is sitting here with me (his
night nurse) and now | am going to
send him to bed.
| Sincerely,
| A. w. lessen, A. N. c.
Enclosed with the letter to Mrs.
Benton is a few lines from Captain
Forsbeck He is known here as he
filled the office of county engineer
several years before leaving. His
splendid letter is as follows
Base Hospital No. 5,
| September 5th, 1918.
Mr.. G. w. Benton:
Dear Sir and Friend am quite
certain you will be about as much
surprised to receive letter from me
as / was few days ago to meet your
son. II certainly is a pleasure to
meet some one from your home coun-
ty in this far away land.
| The boy certainly looks fine even
though the was hurt. But it will
only be a short time until he can re-
! turn to his company. / am safe in
assuring you that he is striving to do
| and lead a clean life which means so
much here.
| had the misfortune to hurt my
ankle and knee on some of our work
| However there is nothing serious l
am sure. Have been here five weeks
and expect to return to my company
soon.
am in command of colored troopc
and our work is along construction
lines. This is very interesting as
your work takes you to all parts Of
the Great Game which we are in. 1t
is very interesting and no doubt will
be more so as the time passes by.
J certainly am glad to be here as
this war is for true and just cause
II those at home could only see
few of the conditions as they exist
! they would understand more clearly
the great need.
II is a great sacrifice for you to
send your son, but both you and
Mrs. Benton can feel proud to know
he was one of the first.
] trust the war may be over soon
and we all can return. In the mean
time we all will do our bit.
With best wishes to you and kind
remembrances of our past friendship
| remain sincerely yours,
Capt. C.. ID. Forsbeck.