Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-19
EVERYDAY EXISTENCE OF SAM
MES DESCRIBED BY IOWA
SOLDIER.
FALSE CONCEPTIONS
OF GREAT WORLD WAR
Folks at Home Draw Queer Pictures
Of Soldier Boys, in Trcnehes-Hard-
ships Of Winter Warfare Described
by Sergeant Bert Court, Of Cedar
Falls, in Letter to Mother.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican
Cedar Falls. Apri. 10. A few,
graphic glimpses at tho soldiers every
day life in France az experienced by
der date of March le, from Sergeant
Bert Court, Company L, l6Sth United
States infantry, just received by his
mother, Mrs. w. c. Court, 1903 Main
street. Bert has been in active SER
vice now for more than a year, most
OF which has been overseas.
It's strange how one looks at life
over here he writes. "Men- live and
die every day, but nothing is thought
of ii. It's all in the days work
Sergeant Court cites the fact that
his sweetheart here :ook him to task
for not sending her a valentine on VAL
entinc day as an illustration that peo-
pie here do not realize what war
means.
That just shows how little the
people back home know about war.
To tell the truth we don't know sun
day from Monday over here and hoH-
days are just the same as any othef
day to u.s. No one at home can rea-
lie what is contained in those three
little letters-WA-R r.
Employed at Old Trade.
You probably would be surprised
if | told you that last night fifteen
men and myself went outin the dark
ness and did the same kind of WORK
that used to do for Bill Schnab!e or
E. Randall for $3.50 day. (The men
named are cement work contractors
But that is just what ! did and just
such work is being done all the time
and many other things you would
never think of.
You are Just as liable as not to be
Weakened up in the night to go ouI
some place and work. I don't believe
I've slept with my clothes off hall
dozen times since I've been in France.
But never felt better as far as
health goes-and it certainly tough
ems YOU up. Father used to tell me
the hardships of his younger days ana
say that boys in this age of the world
didn't know what hardships were.
sure didn't when he was telling me
those things. But just ask him if he
was frozen and full Of rocks all day
long with the temperature below zero
and his bare toes out on the ground.
That's the kind of work there is to do
In the army and we got our share OF
it this winter And then when you
get in from work, eat your meal OIL,
soup sitting out in the snow some
place. Then you crawl into an o'd
barn full of holes and dig yourself
place in the nay to sleep.
Stood Up and Rested.
That's little of our life TINS past
winter, but we did it and laughed all
the while. Just few nights ago.
after not having my shoes off for two
DAYS and nights and no sleep. ! STOOD
in a mudhoe all night with mud ana
water up to my shoe tops and rested.
Little things like that are, common oc-
currenccs in the daily life of a good
soldier
II like the life as far as anybody can
like it and wouldn't he anywhere else
if | had my choice right now. 1t is
not so hard after YOU set used TO IL.
I would like to see a few of our h!Gh
school boys doing it with their pretty
clothes and light coors.
'fWell, 7 think I have told you
enough of this life or ours. maybe too
much, but if it all goes thru 1t VIII
keep you busy for While trying to
read it. | am sitting in com oinatloh
chicken.house. rabbitrcn, COW barn
writing this letter and couldn't read
,..,,..oIf ,ou- that have written 1t.