The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1918-10-04
she vas an painted bIaek for night

She was all painted black for night
flying and few ike dream.
"Some LINES (Englishmen) got one
of the below here-also two of
their machines haven't been seen or
heard from since"
The next letter is from Lieut.. Gard
iner Hawkins. written in a dugout:
'You probably never got a letter
that was written in a front-line dug
cut, and | know / never wrote one.
so ! hope we win both enjoy the ex-
perienee. This is a great life, but
only wish you were here to enjoy il
with me. Yesterday morning early
the Boche put on a little show, and we
had dandy time of it for an hour.
At first, you know, hoped he wouldn't
come over behind it, and then for
some unknown reason, / hoped he
would. 1t just kind Of gets in your
blood.
Il have just come in from patrol
in "our land" more commonly known
as mo Mans Land" and it is GER
tainly great feeling to go crawling
along, making a couple of hundred
yards en- hour. Nothing happened at
all except that on the way a TOOL sem
try got excited and threw bomb at
US, but it missed US and nobody got
hurt. Written night before last.)
81 am going out on another patrol
tonight in Tie same direction. Having
spotted one of the paths through the
wire, Wen probably make better pro-
eress. This place is all billy, with
No Mans Land about half mile
wide and all filled with old trenches
and houses and wire and grass and lit
tie valleys. Both sides have listening
posts advanced way out, day and
night, so you have to keep pretty quiz
Ct Really, though, these patrols are
lots Of fun until afterwards when you
get back into your lines; then one is
apt to become suddenly scared to !
death"
In another letter, he writes after
telling of his assignment to second in
command Of company in a famous
marine regiment which was badly cut
up in the June and July fighting, and
which was twice cited fer gallantry in
action:
I'VE gave him hell for two months
straight, and as was to be expected,
we got bit of it ourselves. for what
ever else Fritz may or may not be able
OF do, he can certainly use machine
guns and Austrian 88's. We captured
a lot of machine guns and most of our
men have become proficient in their
use.
Believe it about the marines. What
ever you hear about the marines over
here in the wsy of fight, just believe
it and accept it on faith, for they have
done things that you would swear
were impossible. For instance, in the
last big drive (the letter was written
in JULY we advanced three and one
half kilometers across an open field
under machine guns and rircet artil-
lery fire all the way, took the woods
with the handful that was left and held
1t against counter attacks until reliev-
ed, Across the field not platoon fall
tered and The only breach Of discip-
line was that wounded men, when or
dered to the rear, in most cases con-
tinued with their companies.
AT Chateau-Thierry they jumped
cut of their camions with the Boche
coming on the double only kilimeter
away. They threw out skirmish line
and lay down and held their fire until
the first wave was within a hundred
yards of them. Then they cut loose
with clip at rapid fire and the first
wave disappeared The officers tried
to hold them for the second wave, but
t was impossible. All along the line
The men jumped up out of the grass
md went to meet it. Within an hour
he Germans were driven back two
niles, until they brought up against
heir third line and their artillery"