Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-12-24
LETTER FROM FRANCE
AK Les Bains, France,
NJ 80 1910


Nov. %, 1918.
Dear Father and All -
The fellows are all writing letter
to Dad, so here goes. The censorship
is lifted. We left the American camp
at Washington, d. c., the Goth of
May, and arrived in Hoboken, N. j.,
May 21st. We were told that we
would be detained at Camp Merritt,
n. j., before starting overseas, but
this is the way it happened. When
we arrived in Hoboken, the entire
battalion was loaded on ferry boat
and we steamed over to our transport.
We could see New York City across
the bay. When we arrived over at
the docks, three great transports were
there, steady line of men were fill
ing these boats. Our transport was
| the Vaterland, former German liner,
now the q. S. S. Levatbian, the
largest ship afloat. | sent a picture
of it home. 1t was a wonderful voy-
age, lots of everything. 1 will never
| forget the first time that we went to
mess, most Of us got lost and we had
| an awful time finding our way back to
our quarters. We wore life belts all
| the time, and slept in hunks, one
above the other, six high. We had
| band concerts every day, and we pur
chased all kinds of candy from the
canteens. The last day at sea we had
a scrap with the subs, but the subs
got the worst of it. We landed May
Both, at Brest, France, on the English
channel. We were loaded on small
| boats and sent ashore. We marched
| through narrow streets to PontenaZen
| Barracks, just little ways out of the
city of Brest. 1t is said that these
barracks quartered Napoleon's SOL
diers. There were seventeen thou
sand troops on our transport alone,
Five other transports steamed in
later. $4,000 were landed in all. 1t
was some bunch.
Our battalion was quartered in
tents, in fact most of the troops were.
+ You should have seen our beds, some
beds: they looked like fence gates; a
board then an interval, then another
board; it was fine place to store ice.
Ha, Ha, but after all it wasn't so bad.
We were at Brest fourteen days,
then we entrained and started for
some where. We went through some
very interesting cities. We spent
about an hour in Charities; it is won
derful. We also went through Or
leans, the birth place of Joan Of Ark,
and then to Subligny Villroy, near
the city of Sens. We were stationed
there about six weeks and could hear
the guns at the front. Lens was four
miles from camp, very interesting
city; a large cathedral there. You
know Co. c, Ard Engineers, was a
road and bridge outfit. August 9th,
we were on the move for somewhere,
that somewhere was the st. Miehl Sec
tor; we had a lively time there Sept.
18th, we were in the drive. We were
there until the early part of October.
We have since been transferred to the
48th Co., goth Engineers, forestry, and
are now stationed at Vaux, ten miles
| from Switzerland, and can see the
snow capped Alps. France is full of
| summer resorts, AK Les Bains is one
| of them.
| The American government has leased
| these places for US when our furloughs
are granted us. AK Les Bains is full
| of fine hotels and beautiful scenery.
l am now in nice little hotel, our
meals are served in courses, and we
sleep in real beds, with real sheets.
1t sure is great and we sure appreciate
what Uncle Sam is doing for us. The
! Y. M. G. A. is a wonderful building
awfully large. They are doing
wonderful work, am for the "Y."
On our journey to this place we
stopped off at Dion and Lyon, Lyon is
the second largest city in France, a
beautiful city but nothing like an
American city. expect to be in Pari in
a short time, while on my furlough.
l don't know what they will do with us
now, we may be with the army of &C.
cupation and we may be sent home.
Will close for this time. Wishing
you all Merry Christmas,
l am your loving son,
| Pvt. RAYMOND MALONE,
4Sth, Co. goth, Engineers.
A. E. F., Frame.