Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-11-04
ANNAPOLIS YOUTH
TELLS OF SOLDIER
LIFE IN FRANCE
Aerial Cornbats, French Girls
And Trench Rats, Subjects Of
George Miller's Letter
OUR BOYS ARE WELL,
~STRONG AND HAPPY
Tells Annapolis Girls To Be Good
Or French Maidens Will
Cut Them Out

George w. Miller, who left Annapo-
lis last September as private in the
Machine Gun Company of the First
Maryland Infantry, and was merged
with it into the 115th Infantry, has
written a most interesting letter to 9
friend in Annapolis. 1t was mailed
just before the 115th left a compare
lively quiet sector in Alsace in order
to take part in the drive along the
Meuse
Young Miller's statement as TO al
instance of the horrible barbarity OF
the Huns may be noted. Many people
have hardly been able to believe these
things, but here is the direct evidence
of one of our boys as to the mutila-
tion of a poor little Belgian child
The young ladies of Annapolis
should take special note of George
Miller's warning to them to treat oul
boys right or the French girls charms
will make them forgetful of those OF
this side The letter is mine of in
teresting information on just tn,
points the home folks want to know
about their boys.
Here is the letter:
"The boys from Annapolis are well
happy and enjoy every moment o
their time They have all grown
muscular, fearless, and are what the
Huns call Honest to God Yanks.' The
trip across the Atlantic did wonder!
of good to us all. We had no Alabama
dust to be bothered with, and no com
pany streets to police 1t is needless
to state that we appreciated our fift
een-hour lay-over in Laurel. TIL
boys still talk of the glorious time
they spent in that we'll known town
The Red Cross in New York alsC
treated us royal while waiting t.
board our ship. We were given buns
and coffee After landing in Bres
we hiked to a rest camp located sew
eral miles from town, there we livet
| in dog tents and dust was worst thai
that in Camp Mcclellan. While there
we visited several nearby towns, ais,
one of the oldest military barracks o
France The poor class of people il
that section of the country dresse,
very quantity. The women wearin,
small white bonnets, and the mel
| large black hats, resembling th'
Quaker style. After leaving Brest w
had a three-day car ride. The car
were very amusing to us-one squa'
was assigned to a section of the car
the car having three sections. TIL
engine was somewhat larger than tn
ones used at an amusement park TO
children. We remained in-for l.
days, while there We continued drill
ing. and had our hike. 1t was in tha
town that we really saw what wa
meant to the people of France.
MY company left - in Arm,
trucks for a town 20 miles away
There we drilled with the 112th M. G
| battalion. In that town we also say
our first of many aerial battles "a
present the Huns are bombarding ou
sector.) We remained in that tow
only four days. Early one rainy morn
ing we hiked to the railroad station
there we boarded box cars and trav
eled until p. m. A large aviation
field was located in this town, an
several entertainments were given i
the hangers. Only a few days age
while maneuvering we witnessed
very thrilling and interesting sight
Three German planes flew over tn
| lines and attacked French observa
ton balloon. Two of the planes re
mained very high, while one dare
devil Hun made two stunning dive
for the balloon through bursting
shells. The German fired on the oh
server and he was forced to jun
from the balloon With the aid of
parachute he landed safely. FINAL
the Germans were driven back.
while in - / was amused by
little Belgium boy who could spea
English fairly well. The poor littl
fellow was a victim of the Germans i
the earlier part of the war. He ha
both hands cut of. His mother, faith
er and sister were killed in Germa
bombardment.
"Since being over here we have me
soldiers from nearly every nation
war, and it is remarkable how W
make one another understand. 1t j
amusing to be in store trying to bu
something without the aid of Frenc
book dictionary. We have ofte
wondered why a foreigner uses hi
hands to talk with-glad to say W
have learned the secret. We get alon
fine with the French girls, so long a
we have at least two dictionarie
Some of the girls back home are al
to lose their soldier boys, so they ha
better write more zen.
Many happy L 3 are passed b