The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-12-31
Soldier S Letters
France, Nov. 2S, 1918.

Reen now and when / must start
t for the little dance given by the
futrses of this hospital. Don't think
Jana getting to be social bug again,
lt being Thanksgiving, we all must
i lebrate.
|. Speaking of Thanksg giving, | know
lou will be glad to hear that my
Gnner included the grand old Ameri-
IN bird, but, oh, long way from
' Is -mbnng her's. 1t was the
S.ny's best. however, and the spirit
jas there, anyway.
All things come TO those who will
| ut wait, at least so the saying goes.
tut there were those of us perhaps
OF possessing that degree of faith
ih1sting, rightly or not, in the
>ninds of some of our fellow men.
fnIail Letters from home! That
Nas been the cry, and my faith just
lmade up it's mind and was gone long
ago. With the exception of one
lonesome letter received several days
ago, news has been scarce, and the
Eouble all began with my exacua-
spSon after being gassed somewhere on
| ne other side of the Argoune Forest.
Just why it is now called a forest,
can't say, because there certainly
isn't anything resembling tree
standing in the place. Yes, there
was once, but that was before the
bosche ceased to call their retreat
|. quiet and peaceful home. Seems
like years ago now, with everything
30 quiet and peaceful here.) 1mag-
! in, if you can the unexpected and all
N more enjoyable surprise of
fifteen letters and all bearing the
stamp of some postoffice in the good
old U. S. A. There were many from
both of you, and from Anna and
Tom also. Those letters have had a
merry chase following me around
France, going, of course. to my Regi-
ment first, from ther eto the Central
Records Office, Tours and then the
pursuit really began. No less than
four different hospitals they have
had to pass through.
{ Nov. 20, 1918.
? Not wanting to be guilty of writ
ling you just few lines when l have
plenty of time at my disposal, l was
forced to stop before finishing this
letter last night. There were many
times while my Regiment was at the
front that either through lack OF
writing material or time, and usual
hy bIS, when it was physically i'm
- ~ n ,thialz Of sending letters
. lew wUfus, not very i1Ief 5sf.
but better than nothing at ALL
Nv, however, l hope to be able to
!te Eeu-long letters often, and
ee nothing to prevent me doing so.
When I think of all those weeks
|put in under anything but pleasant
conditions. often VIZ der how I was
able to stand UP when Haen stronger
physically dropped out every day.
Now that it is all over, and 1 can
J look back on those days, 1 wouldn t
! take a million dollars for my expert
. ences and it is safe bet that l
wouldn't give a dime for a million
more just like them. l want to for
get all about this war if | can.
Ia A great many people no doubt are
|Eondering how it was that the young
G ,merican Army was able to meet
and defeat the trained and seasoned
units of the Kaiser's hordes, includ-
! ing among them the Prussian Guards,
admitted to be their best. When you
| stop again to consider that the great
er majority of our fighting men over
here have been little more than boys,
most of them just few years past
twenty-one, matched against men
more in the prime of life, it becomes
IAN interesting question. indeed. To
my mind, there is only one answer,
and 1 have thought about the ques-
1ion lot. Simply grit" and spirit
Iexplains the thing to ME. Many
Hay a history will be made, narrating
TO the most exact detail the great
battles of the war from its begin
ling on thru the crisis, and all that,
ut l dare say not one of them will
touch the more personal side and
i've the private soldier his due; the
IAN in the ranks, 1 mean. l know
IT men have had no superior sci
ice, and very seldom numbers, and
an even break, all were satisfied.
70 all my experience I have never yet
lied for a volunteer to do this or
at little job, where the life of the
er himself was at stake, without
airing one of the men speak up and
", Lieutenant. let me 60" 1 will
yer forget enc picture imbedded in
memory, a few days after our
nal offensive of September 26th,
ewhere around the fifth of No
,2ber. Late in the afternoon my
cry received orders to move for
I'D and go in position in the gen.
neighborhood of a cross roads,
ee or four kilometers ahead, to
! frner the advance of our Infantry
Ing over the top at zero hour the
It morning. OF course, the artil-
~ in the warfare of today moves
at night, and that order, besides
ming one more sleepless night,
i4St4ee-i-s iisf
I