The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-09-13
Letter From Over There


Lynn is member of Battery +
Field Artillery, at the time o!
writing was stationed i'll a training
camp somewhere" in France.
Sunday, Aug. IL, 1918
Somewhere in France
Dear Mother:
Am feeling fine and in good spirits
like our present location, and hope
we may stay for a while, for we
have plenty to eat and good bed to
sleep on, and that's about all sol
der can look for in war times. This
camp is located in a beautiful part
of France, and as you know my
fondness for the beauties of nature
you wouldn't have to stretch your
imagination very much to picture
my delight in being so we'll located
Am studying on my French and can
make out pretty well when / go to
town, in making nay wants known to
the shopkeepers. OF course I can't
keep up an. extended conservation
or get all they say to me for they
talk so rapidly; but you would be
surprised at the number of English
words they know, and they sure do
know how to take out more than is
due them if they know one is ignor-
ant of the value of ones money.
If the Allies keep up at the rat,
they are going now, it looks as il
the Germans will be beaten to a
fragile before snow flies. We are
not near enough to the front to hear
the sounds of the conflict, but to
hear the artillery at target practice
near the camp here one could almost
imagine he was on the firing line.
The other night they fired all night
long, and it sure was annoying for
fellow who was trying to sleep.
Once asleep he didn't care a bit.
We are busy now, regulars and
recruits drilling each day but so far
is only been the foot-drill and rifle
lrill. 1 suppose that we will begin
to practice with the big guns before
many days or weeks and then the
real work will begin. The rumor is
afloat in the Battery that we will
have horses to pull the guns around
instead of motors, and maybe your
son will be straddling Cor trying toy
a bucking broncho one of these fine
days soon, and then maybe he'll go
off quicker than he got on. One
thing sure, if we were to be thrown
on our heads it oughn't to be very
damaging for we have on tin trench
hats now ("Tin Lizzies" the boys
call them) and if they can stand the
shock of shrapnel they ought to be
pretty good shock absorbers. Just
the first opportunity 1 have 1 am
going to be "mugged" in my trench
helmet and send you the result sc
you can see for. yourself the trans
formation which has taken place ir
my appearance.
The other day 1 had the chance Of
getting into a section of the Battery
called the Detail" as a telephone
operator, but the fact that my hear
ing is dull was handicap and
couldn't take it. The detail is that
part of the organization which goes
ahead and acts as scout getting
ranges, correcting errors in firing
and keeping up communication be
| tween the Commander and the gun
and from one battery to another
To sum it up the detail is the brains
of the battery, and I'm sure, is in
teresting work. I'm only sorry m!
hearing was such that 1 couldn't be
used. I'm going to try to be trans
ferred into the Medical Corps, for
I'm not needed in the Battery ofic,
at the present time, and I feel SUR
in my bones that 1 would like the
Medical Corps better and would be
of more service to them than as al
artillery-man, taking the fact thai
I've had no training along the latter
line into consideration.
1 don't know how it has been al
home but it has been very cold anG
rainy everywhere we've been since
l went into the Army, and vegeta
ton everywhere seems late i'll com
ing to fruition. The sweet-peas out.
side of the "Y" hut are just bloom
ing now and 1 noticed lots of grair
as we passed by on the train which
was not ripened.
Went to service here in the ''Y"
this morning, and expect to attend
another one tonight. I sure am
regular attendant at the "Y" and
am mighty thankful that organiza-
ton exists and does so much that is
needful for the boys in Camps and
at the front. Have had some pleas
ant chats the past two days, as some
Of the Pittsburg boys whom l had
not seen since we left there. breez
ed into this Camp with another out
fit.
Tolyo raro Of yOrrcaIf op1 ito