Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-09-20
AIR FIGHTING
IN FRANCE
Lieutenant J. Darby Kenyon Gives
Some Bits From the Days Work Of
a Military Aviator in France-NO
Mans Land-Front Line Trenches
The Friend-Gone West.


The following are extracts from
letters written by Darby Kenyon on
the dates indicated, all received on
Friday, September 13. So far as we
know Darby is the only pilot engaged
in actual combat service from Fulton
county, but there are hundreds of
other boys from this state and ma
tion who are to-day taking the same
hazards and performing similar dam
gerous duty in the air in France for
the cause of human freedom and JUS
tice. Let US not forget them when
we buy our Fourth Liberty Loan
Bonds.
Aug. 18th.
81 came back from an early patrol
this morning to find letter from Dad
and nice warm breafast-good
things to come back to, believe me.
We don't keep track of the
days out here; I really don't know
what day this is; its hard enough to
keep track of the date; one day is
much the same as another. There
wasn't much doing this morning, ex-
cept that Fritz's "Archie" (anti-air-
craft gum was better than usual.
Coming back we flew low over .sNo
Mans Land"; the dead horses, still
unburied; the little groups of crosses
and the utter destruction in general
is by no means an appetizer; but
that letter cheered me up and I'm
feeling right clipper now. I am sit
ting out in wood where we are
quartered; it reminds me of
Crystal Lake, near Frankfort,
Mich.), except that up there we didn't
hear guns raising the devil in the dis
tance. There's funny tree here,
too, that is very tall and its foliage
resembles ferns. I don't know what
it is. A whole lot Of experiences have
been crowded into the past week,
pleasant and otherwise, but Pm afraid
there isn't anything I had better
write about. One thing, tho: I took
my initial trip to the front line
trenches, my first and my last. I'm
not going again unless I have to.
shells bursting and singing over their
heads and all the other unpleasant
things about front line trench, but
| don't think ever could-once was
quite enough. Don't get
mixed up with the civic upIift of
France; most of those people who
come here to reorganize this beauti-
full country are like unto Fl. Ford's
Peaceship, and they are bores in the
way and-there's a war on.
"The French are quite capable and
intelligent people themselves. My ad-
vice would be: Stay where you are
and do all you can there. Don't
come over here unless you come to
do something definite and are fitted
and capable of doing it. There isn't
room for wild dreamers, who would
have ants trained to fill shell holes,
over here; some are tolerated, it is
true; but they are eating perfectly
good food every day which they don't
deserve. Well, that's quite lecture,
isn't it, but l think it's true.
"Aug. 18th, 1918.
The past week has been another
full of events: One in particular
my first regular flight in the air, and
pilots first "dog-fght" CHATS what
we call them out here), is rather a
milestone in his life, because you con-
graduate yourself on coming back at
all; after you've got out of your first
one altogether, you have some hopes,
a world of experience, and are several
years older. I am afraid the details
would be somewhat of a bore, be-
cause it was very like all of them that
you read about all the time. The Hun
is a tricky cuss, believe me, and
you've got to watch him; but I am
beginning to believe that they are
just as yellow as they are painted. !
: have been mixed up in several fights
since then and have not Jared worse
than having few bullet holes in my
''bus." So far, so good. En-, what
"The weather over here has been
/, wonderful and the country is abso-
lutely beautiful back where we are. ]
can't help thinking how you people
would enjoy the sunsets, because as
remember it you all have sort of a
weakness for sunsets.
''To tell the truth, have very little
to tell you. imagine you get about
as much war news as I do; a great
$ deal of what we get is rumor, for ouI
< papers are invariably old. It strikes
e me funny, tho, that probably you are
reading about places that am con-
stantly flying over and endeavoring
d to keep the Huns from coming over
n My, but can't we have some good
S old talks when this thing is all over.
n "Aug. 25th, 1918.
: "You asked me how I celebrated
$ Sunday the fourteenth of July. I must
< confess l didn't know it was to be
+ celebrated. I'm out of the celebrating
area now, and they don't stop the wal
: on Sunday, so it is much the same
e as any other day.
n 81 am feeling a little down in the
mouth to-day, for yesterday one d
e my best friends in the squadron "went
: vest; that is, think he was killed
n for he never came back from the lines
: We were doing ground strafng-have
!, been for the, past few days, and tel
n you it is hell. You go out in pairs OF
S alone, drop your bombs and shoot VI
S anything you happen to see on the
t roads or in the villages, while they
t make it darned hot for you from tht
s ground with machine guns, field gun:
and "Archies," not to mention trac
t ers, Pom Pom and flaming onions
: About the only thing they can't do Il
: you is gas you.
e "On my last trip yesterday I wa,
y all alone and 1 met Hun two-seatel
: observation plane; I dived on him ant
: opened up both guns; his observes
0 returned the compliment. After
: had fired only short burst both m!
e guns jammed and l had to break of
f and head for our lines as fast as
: could go. When I got back l fount
e that he had put burst in my engine
) but luckily hadn't hit anything i'm
It portant. I was never quite so pu
e out in my life as when my gun
failed, for 1 certainly had cold mea
e in that Hun. l had the advantage i:
d position and height and it would hav
G been right nice to get a two-seate
Y all alone. I think had bes
E cut this short, for I expect call an,
d time to go over and drop few pill
'e on Fritz's transport or something. T
is be right here and see the war is lik
ar trvino tn comnrehend snace or in