The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-11-28
five MONTHS ON
FIGHTING FRONT
ANDREW PUlTZ WRITES TWO
LETTERS TELLING OF REAL
EXPERIENCES
FALSE PEACE RUMORs ON THE FRONT
Boys Overjoyed At Peace Prospects
But II Turns Out Like Some OF
Those Hero At Home


Two good letters have been received
by A. NJ. Pultz, from his or, Andrew.
and we give them for the benefit of
the folks who are interested in the
boys at the front:
October S.-Dear Folks: Well,
guess I'll write my last letter in
France, if all reports are true. A wire
came into the position this morning
that peace had been declared. II
seems too good to believe, but 1t might
possibly be so. We all took it for
granted SO we made a lanyard about
20 feet long and tied on the gun. We
loaded up the gun and all took hold
the string and sent over Battery C's
last shot to Fritzie. The way the
Boche shells are exploding up ahead
of us at intervals don't sound as IL it
were very true. Well here's hoping
we aren't firing all night tonight as
we are afraid We might have to.
Vas out salvaging the other day
through some woods that the Boche
have been in possession of for over
four years. They had a regular little
village built of logs and sure had 1t
fixed up fine. A few miles from here
they run onto a complete bathhouse
built Of concrete with all the fixtures
in it. There are also large stables
through the woods and one would hold
a.. hiuh oc Enn hnrunc Thnrn Go Nnn
officers hut q little way from here
that has its kitchen underneath. A
speaking tube extends down to the
cook and he can set his grub for the
officers on a dumb waiter and send 1t
up to the room above. A person sure
has to give it to them for making
themselves comfortable. Guess the
war amt over as we are going to start
firing).
| Talk about hunting, there is good
hunting even in this country. Have
scared UP quite a number OF quail
around here but would rather find
them in South Dakota. 1t didn't look
ike Hun hunting had been very good
for our doughboys until yesterday. I
went up ahead and there were a few
scattered owe the prairie. Guess they
take a lot Of them prisoners. A few
days ago they brought three punches
by our positions and the guard told
us IL the artillery put Over rs good a
barrage every day as we did that one
they would soon capture the whole
German army. The Boche are pretty
fair shots too, that Is IL they were
shooting at us last night. as they
planted four or five from so to 100
feet from our little dugout. Our hole
is about 2 feet deep, but they made
me feel as il ! could dig 10 feet more
in a few seconds.
Near one position we were in a few
days back an American antiaircraft
gun brought down seven Boche planes
in one day. One landed about a hun
dred yards in front Of our guns and
run along the ground quite a ways In
til he run into one of Battery AS guns.
Just as soon as the plane hit the
ground the avion threw up his hands
as they all seem scared they are going
to get murdered as soon as they see
an American. Another came over and
shot down one of our balloons and was
then brought down by the machine
gun fire. When he lighted he jumped
out and pulled his revolver and wound
ed an engineer that happened to be
near by. He said the reason he did
this was because he thought he would
be killed anyway and he wanted to get
somebody first.
One bunch of four planes came over
together and were all brought down
near our Echelon. That article about
was pretty good. 1t was the telephone
line that was broken four times in
one day by shell fire.
had a close call for a wound stripe
or something the other day. was hr-
ing the first piece and there was a
Boche plane above. I guess every
body for miles around was shooting at
him, and all of a sudden l thought he
was pegging at me. I heard a bullet
whiz and found that one had hit a
brake rod on the gun while l had my
leg right opposite. A piece Of 1t few
against my leg and scraped a hole in
my overalls I had On and would have
gotten 1t full force II it hadn't been
for that rod. Wouldn't have been
much along side of what some Of these
poor fellows get. Guess the boys that
were first wounded in this outfit are
nearly well now, although 1t looked
pretty bad for one Of them for awhile.
Well must quit as this firing puts u
peace talk on the blink. Love to all.
At the Front. Oct. 22.-Dear Folks: