Imperial Valley press., 1918-11-05
SOLDIER LETTERS
GRAPHIC PICTURE
OF WAR SCENES


devastated France are Siven in two
Sammy" letters received here by rel
aives of soldiers who are over there.
The letters are from r. 0. Vernon,
member of tank corps, TO his sister,
Mrs. Harry E. Clem, and Harry L.
johnson 10 his sister, Mrs. Merrill
Davis.
Young Johnson's letter follows:
"At last | have found time 10
write. | sure had fire Trip, even
if we didn't travel first class all the
time. Sometimes il was with EIGHT
horses and again thirty-siX men, but
wawr is war, so we play it all right.
"This is sure a fine country, but
they are about twenty years behind us,
in The states. Donkeys seem 10 he
he main horsepower-they haul ali
hsir trucks in big Two wheeled carts
drawn by a donkey or wowmwen, but
his country, though, does not shoow
he effect of The war so very much.
"The people all dress nice-plaia
bui neal. Once in while we have
lisijors from Paris hal step out in
I'LL style and sure some fine looking
women, but they all like muslaches
o all the boys-those who are men
,noush-are followins The motto of
when in Rome, do as the Romans
To-" | can't. so | guess | am out of
luck.
owe see lois of German prisoners
llong The railroad when we are trav
cling here in France. | did moi see
many haI l would be afraid of, bu'
ONE of them did show signs of in
slligence-amost human. Most of
hem are tow-headed, like myself, and
il makes me blush little when |
lpss one.
II am far from the front and we
are all having a Sood ime and MOI
irilling much on account of the rain.
They say Thai il rains continuous here
N September, October and Novembe {
)ut The last couple of days have sure
cen nice. The waller here is bunk,
I'll most of us drink beer instead Of
va ler--il is The kind that You cant
gel drunk on. A present l am sleep,
ng in soft feather bed, which is
sure hard to lake, but | don't think
| will have any trouble in getting used
70 il. The Americans cry when they
90 over The Top, "When do we eal,"
1ut they ea better than any others
'ver here"
Vernon's letter follows: "Excu-e
Dencil, as my pen has disappeared and
We are so far from civilization | can't
1uy one. Have been over The Top with
ny Iank and back. Was in The hos
pial short while. bui am back on
he Job ready 10 20 again. The Jerrys
are Going cak so fast now since they
we're Jared loose on our front. THIS
is quite a country. The best descrip-
ion is his; patches of woods all shot
10 pieces, miles of trenches, barbed
wire, sea lered shells and ammunition
of every sorl, with pieces of clothing
md uniforms.
All The cities and towns are blown
o pieces. Not even one good build
ing left. We live in dugouis, trenches
and any place we can gel. | have no:
cen woman since coming inlo This
area. We dom even know whether
il is Saturday or Wednesday half !he
time.
"Was up yesterday evening 10 the
burial vaults of he Town, ouI of which
he Jerrys were jusl pushed. They
had even broken open ihe caskcis and
robbed the decaying dead bodies.
have seen This in every town | have
listed. | could lell you much more
and wish | could, but cannol now.
'Ii is raining hard ouIs side. How
ever Pm in a dry billeI, have a good
bunk and feel fine"
According 10 young Vernon's lei
er he is brigadcd with ihe British
fvpodi IicparN Eopcoc in Er.p.n