Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-06-19
LIEUT.. LESTER GORDER
WRITES HIS MOTHER
Decorah soldie at Ft. Ben
jamin HarrisoS tana Sends
Very InIert. Letter
To His Moth ere
GUEST AT NuLLIONAlS
HOME LASE WEEK
Says 1t Was Most Wonderful lace
Overlooking the City, With
75 Acres Garden, Lawn
and Lakes
Ft. Benjamin Harrison, ind.
June 3, 1918.

-
June 3, 1918.
Dear Mother:
1t must be two weeks since l last
wrote, so I must write tonight.
even though l am sleepy. We have
been so very busy lately. l am
with a new company now. On the
day on which l wrote the last let
ter / was transferred to an outfit
composed of enemy aliens who
were sent here this spring await
ing naturalization. There are three
companies of them. They are men
who have been drafted, some who
have been in the service for many
years, and some &ho have lately
enlisted; all were ready for service
in France with their own outfits,
but were turned down at the port
of embarkation because they were
not American citizens. They are to
be naturalized by special act or
congress and then assigned to
some regular outfit going across.
The majority will be assigned to
the 10th. They are all good sold
diers and very interesting. There
are Germans, Greeks, Jews and
Arabs who are Turkish subjects
and are therefore enemy aliens.
We have many in our company alone
who were born in Jerusalem, Da-
mascus and Jaffa. They all speak
from three to seven or nine diff
ferent languages. l have one who
comes over here to my quarters to
give me lessons and practice In
French. His name is Schtaklen;
he is a German but loyal to this
country, and was formerly in a
French outfit.
Then Saturday we got 800 new
recruits, drafted men, who have
been in service only since last week.
These are the first drafted men
we have received, and we are high
ly pleased with them. They come
from Illinois, Indiana and Ken
lucky. We got those and mixed
them in with our 800 aliens, so now
we have quite a battalion. Our
outfit is called the 10th Infantry
Detachment. We keep them for o
couple of months, perhaps, when
the whole outfit, naturaliZed aliens
recruits and all, will be placed in
the 10th regiment. The idea Is to
recruit the 10th UP to war strength
according to the new organization
table, which all looks good to u.s.
We had almost given up hope OF
ever getting across. OF course II
won't be for a while yet.
There are fifteen of us officers
with the detachment, and we ar;
supposed to be picked ones from
tag lpgiment- There ara only
three or four to company, so we
have considerably more to do thar
we did this winter, when we were
eight or nine to company. Tha'
was one of the causes of dissatisfac'
tion. Besides, am second III
command of the company, so 1t gives
me a wonderful opportunity to gain
experience.
Social activities are in full swlns
again after a brief lu'l AFR the
winte, season. Last Saturday even
ing Col. and Mrs. Ront gave
charity ball again for the benefit
of orphans of French OH ers., Aoou'
200, / suppose were present. The
evening before a dozen OF us at
tended house party down town
Yesterday afternoon Sunday
paid my first visit to real NIL
Iionaire's home. A number, 9S IL
all of French soldiers, blue
Devils" they are called, because
Of the blue suits and wonderful
fighting. are visiting here about
week. Mr.. and Mrs. Allison, wh'
own the speedway here, gave re
ception for them. Col. and MES
Root were invited, and told to brint
two bachelor officers with them
so German and l We're the fortu
nate ones. The blue Devils
didn't stay, but we stayed unti
about seven o'clock. They have
most wonderful place oyerlookins
the city, rs acres of gardens, lawi
and lakes--in fact chain OF hV'
lakes, each containing dinereh
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