Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-04-20
OUR BOYS
Write from
OV Err Their +

Sergeant I. S. Randall, with 'ne
s03d Motor Truck Company no" ~
active service in France. "ri'e' -.
tensely interesting letters anu "-.
first hand impressions Of the sfea'
struggle going on are most grapi -
in description. -.
He writes in part as follows 10 n''
father, |. H. Randall Of Augusta.
France, March IA, 1Sls.
Ny Dear Father:
DAY before yesterday TOOK 'ohe
automobile ride on roads when run
parallel to the trenches, to qu!'o
distant part of France. 1t was TIC
most beautiful and yet the hhoS'
tragic and sad ride have ever taken'
Through beautiful country, WIN
women and children working III tne
fields with the roar Of the cannon az
ways in their ears. Were 1t not TOT
the roar and the aeroplanes one
would hardly know that there was a
war. Passed through the most
famous battle field Of the war, ana al
the edge of it stopped and looked
around For miles beautiful roll
ing country. and in the distance a
hill with the ruins of beautl1ui
castle on it. The Germans took that
hill from the French three times. but
the French hold it today, but at what
a terrible cost. Graves, graves
graves. and thousands of men were
buried where they fell in shell holes,
with no marks over them. SAD
pathetic little graves. with a little
wooden cross put up by a comrade
possibly while the battle was still
on.
Every fifteen or twenty feet a
grave. And oftentimes four or five
side by side. And in the middle of II
a monument TO the great 37th Regi-
ment OFrench) which went into t"e
battle at eight in the morning, III
at ten thirty it had nothing LEFT, but
it's flag, which it didn't lose. II
wasn't work of art or it wasn't
hand carved; it was just made from
rocks picked up in the fields and
relics from the battle field, but III
swear it made the tears come to my
eyes to look at it, and I'm not
chicken hearted. And then or
through q great French manufacture
ing town with women in a sort OF
short overall doing everywhere the
work that men formerly did. On the
crime and waste and heartaches and
sorrow that this terrible war has
cost The American people should
apply every ounce Of energy to beat
ing Germany for all time.
And then on to nice wide read
like State street. and on it and
around it the shells were falling. sc
specded up and went through
Sort of exciting. On to my destina :
ton; did my GRAND and back along
the same road. If live to be a hun
dred / shall never forget that trip
There are several aeroplanes ap-
preaching and everyone is going out
to wait and see if they are German
or French. That's helpless feel
ing. To hear the purr of an aeroplane
engine somewhere in the sky, ovel
Your head. but YOU can't see it, anG
yon don't know when he is going tt
let loose his bombs and send 70,
into eternity. It's great life, il
not merry one.
Am sorry that the weather condi
tions at home have been so severe.
Hope YOU will get all the aeroplan,
stock which you can. Uncle San
needs it all.
Didn't have time to finish youl
letter last night, as we had an ali
raid. The Germans are fairly goot
in the air, but the English have then
bested a mile. That's where the wal
will be won anyhow. Love to all,
SGT. /. S. RANDALL,
303d Motor Truck Co.,
Amer. Ex. Forces, France