New Britain herald., 1918-08-06
LIEUT.. EDDY CREDIT
 ID NEW BRITAIN
I. ". Wilbor, Jry Saw Him Be-
 fore Going Into Battle

Ao&o ooAAO AAeo 0uteIo
 Thomas W. Wilbor, IT,, son of MT. and Mrs. T. w. Wilbor of Franklin Square, has written the following let
 ter from France, where he is en- gagged in Y. M. c. A. work:
 July 7, 1918. Dear Mother:-
 "Yes the troops are doing splen- didly and especially the Marines. My only regret is that I came so close to it and just missed goino right through with them. There are TO better sol diers and no better men in the world than the U. s. marines, and I'm proud to have been with them as much as I have. 1 have seen a good r1any of the old crowd here in the last week. 4ou know, as I told K in my l.. st letter, this is the placo where I left them just before the big fight. They all want me to come back with them and it looks now as though I might before long. Our new provisional chief is a wonder and will do all he can to help me. Yes, some of my men were in that list of killed you sent me, and a good many more of my old friends have gone now, but they've lived up to the traditions of the corps and that is enough for a marine. I heard from Dr. Clifford, and he is recuperating in England and hopes to be back with us soon.
 T don't know whether I told you or not, but I saw Leslie Eddy that first morning that ] came in here. I think he was killed. A man from his outfit told me that he thought he was and his name was in the list pub lished in the paper If you find that it is true you might tell Mrs. Eddy that l saw him only 8 few hours be- fore he went into action and as you know he.,was awarded the D. S. c.
 distinguished service cross). He was credit to the corps and to New Brit ain. He asked me to write if he didn't come through, but I want to be sure first.
 Well. today has been the best in many weeks for me. I found last night that the boys from home had passed through. I didn't waste much time in locating them and last night I saw Russ Nelson, Jack Heron, Fred Grosclaus, Brady, and this morning I went out and saw Gardner Weld, Cor don Robinson, Bill Hart, Red Yerges and the rest. I spent the morning with them and they are all in fine shape, never looked so well in their lives, especially Bill. Dute Parker was away at school again so I missed him. think Deac Hastings was away, too, and Dwight Pease has been away and gotten a commission and is no~ longer with the outfit. You can't imagine how glad I was to see them all. Next to being in New Britain it was the best thing on earth. I sure had to laugh to see all those boys eating dry bread, steak and potatoes and black coffee sitting on the edge of their dug-outs thinking it was fine. Red Verges said they ate dinner in 8 town a while ago and they insulted us-they gave us apkins' But we eat pretty well over here. There aren't any frills but there is plenty of it and it's real food. Just now I am messing with a company of military police and we have very good chow They are good fellows, too all old cavalry men regulars. Bill says Gardner is always getting him in wrong by writing home so often. Rod Chamberlain is in the hospital suffer ing from blood poisoning from barb wire. He is getting along all right, though. He has been awarded the D. s. c. also. I must write to Charlie Hart. I see him sometimes as he isn't far from here,
 Just now I am in charge of a sub-warehOuse here: it is only tenn porary though. I always knew that my experience as q freight handler In the Stanley Rule and Level shipping room would come in handy some time.
 If you think it is dusty in New Britain I wish you could live for a day on this roadside. The traffic never ceases day or night. I have a billet right in the front of the house and everything l own is gray with dust. If you slap me on the back cloud arises from my clothes. l have no one to take care of me here there are only very few French people here. When first came with these troops it was totally deserted, of course. We just help ourselves to the use of the houses.
 T went up to our batteries the other night but the guns I visited had just finished firing for the time being. There was plenty of noise, however, and the shells from the guns farther back were whistling in good shape.
 Well, I must stop as 1t is too dark