The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-23
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MARINE SAYS THEY
 WENT THROUGH H. AND PUT FIRE OUT

Grover L. Cleveland of Randolph, Ala, Forty-ninth company, Fifth regiment, Marines. Is one of those who cama through the great fighting without a scratch. He has written the following letter to Maj. Allen P. Howison of Ran dolph regarding his experiences:
 France, November 25, 1918.
 Dear Major-After a long silence I will write you short note in the form of Christmas letter to wish you all kinds of good things during the holidays. and a prosperous new year. Also to let you know I am still living and doing well. It is nothing short of a miracle that haven't been killed on several different occasions, but I have managed to pull through some way without scratch.
 I have been knocked down and cov- cred up by the big shells and have had my coat tail shot off by machine guns, and have been in gas for several hours at a time. Airplanes have tried to drop bombs on me, and shot at me with ma- chine guns, but I afS still here and en- toying life to the fullest I thought sev- eral times that my time had come, but I never did give up, and always man. aged to get by.
 I do wish you could have been with us on the morning of November l, when we tapped that famous Hindenburg line at
 
 was impossible to break it. We went over the top at daylight and while have never been to the Tower regions" thought for a while I had gotten there suddenly. It was terrible the way we killed them. We took something near 2000 prisoners in two hours, to say noth- ing of the ones we killed and wounded I shot my rifle till it got so hot could hardly hold it, and my aim was pretty didn't last long and then tley began to run, and we started to chasing them, and we run them full speed all day long, We just made it so hot for them they couldn't stand it. We had them badly beaten when the armistice was signed, and if it had lasted while longer we would have administered the final blow and crushed them beyond all redemption. But I am glad 1t is over, for a soldiers life is a hard one at best and he never knows today what tomorrow will bring, but the good part about 1t is, he don't care very much what It brings, for he is nearly always ready to meet it half way.
 You know, Major, I have always been slow in my movements, but as the negro says have done become" of all that for you just ought to see me move when the bullets begin to sing around me I move and move in hurry. This war has brought me lot of things, and things I will never forget
 have seen the time on several diff ferent occasions that I would have given everything I ever possessed for some thing to eat. On one occasion we went six days on one hot meal, and the rest ting whatever we could About the best meal I ever ate was some raw Irish po- tatoes found in a dug-out.
 can also make a good bed on cold night with one blanket.
 I don't know when Uncle Sam will see fit to bring us boys home, but hope to get there sometime between now and spring I don't know what I will do when I get there, for don't know any thing about conditions back there, as I haven't gotten single letter from any body since I have been over here. I don't understand why I don't get any mail, for I know all you people have written me several times.
 hope you all are getting along nicely, and will be happy and prosperous when l get there.
 don't like this climate over here, for it rains nearly all the time and the mud is something fierce. It would make the Randolph mud look like 15 cents with hole in it.
 Tell Ernest my writing facilities are rather limited and I do real well to write at all, but I will try to write to him real soon. Since the war Is over don't care very much whether I write any moro or not. Will just save it all to tell you know you won't believe some of the yarns I tell you. but they will be facts. Well, Major, be good to yourself till see you. and run things the best you can till I get there
 Give my regards to all the boys, and tell them am a tough guy now for I have been through h--l and put out the fire. Your friend,
 PRIVATE GROVER l.. CLEVELAND. !. Forty-ninth Company, Fifth Regiment,
 U. s. Marine, A. E. F.
 Wishing you all a merry Christmas and happy and prosperous new year.
 G. L. C.