Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-08-02
Base Hospital, June &c

Dear Mother:
Another little letter to you this
beautiful morning, so you will know
several weeks later that / am get
ting along fine. My, it is a real treat
to be here in this fine hospital.
Everything is so much Americanized
that fellow can hardly tell but
what he is back in the good old
States again. We are treated simply
fine. Everything that can be done
Tor our comfort is done and done in
fine style. The nurses are all fine.
sensible young ladies and women,
and they sure do help the looks of
things a lot. You can never imagine
what treat it is to see and talk to
American women after all these
months of not even seeing one. And
the old Y. M. C. A is right on the
job as usual. They have a larg.
building here with all the books,
magazines and quiet reading rooms
fellow could want. They also have
a large auditorium where they give
picture shows concerts, etc. Ycster-
day they sold ice cream with real
ripe Strawberries on it for rs cen
times per dish which isn't quite Is
cents. 1t was the first ice cream I've
had since leaving TT. Riley. The
French people don't know what ice
cream is, and there isn't soda
fountain in all France unless the Y.
M. C. A. has started some. Yes, it is
real vacation to be here, after.
being up at the front doubt if Their.
is a soldier here but what would like
to stay here until the war is over,
but they don't talk much about it.
That wouldn't be showing the right
spirit and as it is just as soon as a
fellow begins to feel we'll he begins
to thing about getting back to his
company and taking another crack
at the Germans. have wished many
times since being up there that I
had joined 4 fighting unit instead of
the one l did, but some one has to
care for the wounded, and l feel con-
fident that / haved saved many a
life up there by risking my own.
That is some satisfaction. Wounded
| Germans come back through our
dressing stations just the same au
our own soldiers. All l have seen are
| gritty devils, and no matter how
badly wounded they lie on the
stretcher and never make a sound.
So many are wounded in trying to
surrender. They come running across
no mans land with their hands up,
crying "Kamerad" Sometimes they
are allowed to come right into our
own lines without being fired upon,
but some of them are treacherous
hounds and as soon as they get close
enough they start throwing hand
gfenades at our machine guns, but
of course they don't last long after
that. 1t is that treachery that makes
some of our boys open fire as soon
as the Germans start across with
their hands up. If the Germans hap
pencd to be in earnest that time they
will keep coming even though coming
straight towards a deadly machine
gun, and sometimes several of them
will succeed in getting into our lines
although badly shot up, then us Red
Cross men take them in hand.
The worst part of the whole war
is the artillery fire. Those shells
make most horried and hideous
noise when they are coming straight
towards you, and you could swear up
and down that it was going to hit
you right on top the head. OF course
one doesn't have much time for spe-
culation in case like that, but ii
fellows mind will work awfully fast
some times. They claim our artillery
is far superior to the Germans and
# that is the case | don't blame them
for wanting to surrender.
Guess | have written enough for
this time. | will write often if still
have the chance, and don't you wor-
ny If you don't hear from me often.
Remember in whose care you have
placed me- How can I but help come
back to you. Love to dear old faith
er. Your loving son