The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-05-09
FROM "OVER THERE"
Letter From An Oakland Soldier
at the Front.

The Republican is permitted to print
the following letter, which was re-
ceived few days ago by Rev. w. M.
Shultz, pastor of the Methodist Epis-
copal church in Oakland, from Leo Scott
Lyon, now somewhere in France with
the American forces:
DEAR REV. SHULTz,
Have been going to write you for
long enough, but every time | would
get organized" to write something
would happen. That word "organized"
is one of our expressions of an incident
where an American soldier was out
after taps and got arrested. He told
the story of hesitating on the avenue as
he saw two skirts coming and was
getting pretty well organized and the
Military police took him to the brig"
It's against military rules to talk or
converse with French girls on the
streets and he broke the law practicing
his French lesson.
Well, am very well and doing good
and have no complaint, for we have
lots of good times to mix with some
thrilling and traglcal events of which |
hope to have an opportunity to relate
when il is all over, but when you first
become soldier the next thing is
courage to conquer any calamity, and
perform your duty and keep from soil
ing your character. There Is one thing
which is hard and that is to select as
sociates, for all soldiers must be COM
rades. for one soldier never knows when
he will nave to depend on the other
and fellow who depends on an enemy
makes poor progress, so soldiers are
pals.
1t won't be so long until the good old
Republic will rock autocracy's founda-
ton and the black flag will fall out of
existence. Gee, | wish we had entered
the war four years ago for it is ap-
palIing to see the poverty and women
and children and even soldiers with
bands of mourning going to the front
to take brothers. place.
like hospital work very much and
have learned the trade far enough to
carry out my duties such as they are
They say 1t is nOncOnbattant branch,
but the one who decides on it for that
reason fear will be very much out of
luck. There is but very little sickness
here, at least I've found it that way
where | have been, and a very few
deaths so far. and have worked in two
different hospitals, My first patient to
die was a young man from Pennsylvania
and it was indeed sad for me, for he
had been in my ward for three weeks
and found him to be very fine young
man, and | cherished his friendship to
the greatest extent, but he lost strength
and hope and the eve before he died he
called me to his bed side and gave me a
note of all his money and articles, in
GLIDING picture of his mother and
father and sweetheart, and told me to
send them home to his mother in case
something happened to him, which |
did, but tried to encourage him but
couldn't, so that night he died. He was
we'll taken care of and couldn't have
had it better at home for he had a
special nurse and plenty of attention.
Our hospitals are all well equipped with
everything and every patient is well
cared for
We have Y. M. C. A. just a block
from the hospital and it sure is one
grand organization and anybody who
helps the Y. M. C. A. fund does his bit,
for there's nothing of more benefit,
and in many camps it is the soldiers
only resort. We have services there
and usually always crowded. | have
not been inside church since | left
New York, for there are very few
Protestant churches here but the Y. NJ.
C.. A. takes its place.
Well | will close, for there isn't
much of interest | can say. Hoping to
hear from you soon and hope that | will
be back home again soon and to be with
the old time companions to enjoy good
old home comforts and luxuries of civil
Ian life, l am,
Very sincerely.
LEO SCOTT LYON,
Evacuation Hospital No. 8.
A. E. F. France, April r.