Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-12-24


Boys Over There Who Have Done
Their Part and Tell Of Thrilling
Experiences.
Mrs. Frank Steiner, 42O South
Washington street, has received the
following letter from her son, serg17.
BENJAMIN Steiner.
! November 2s, 1918, !
Nogent; FranceI
Dear Mother:
Today is Thanksgiving, and have
something to be thankful for pulling
through this war OK. I have thanked
God for it all.
know there are lots of mothers
at home that have much to be thank
full for. I guess there are lots o1!
mothers who will never see their boys
again. However, they did their best
and died heroically. .
If Il had died III this great fiEht
for freedom it would have been alE;
right with me, but j am glad that u
pulled through. /
l will never forget the days putt
in, in the trenches and how the Shells
and bullets used to fall around mel
and cut down trees right over me. We
slept in water and mud every night
War is not fun. Now, when Il
come home can say that | did my
part in the thickest of battle.
I guess the people at home are glad
the war is over. We are too. we
would have felt much better had we
captured "Old Bill" His army GER
tainly was afraid of the Americans.
When we went after a town or hlll
held by the Germans we always got
IL. Our first big. battle was III July
which was the second battle OF the
Marne. We drove on Chateau Thierry
and believe me we did kill some OF the
Germans on that push.
Our next was st. Miheil drive and
here we freed people that had been
in the hands OF the Germans four
years. felt like crying when the
French women kissed our hands and
cheeks. They certainly were glad to
see us come in that night after light
ing two days.
The next big fight was at Verdun,
which ended our part in the war.
We were in all of the battles par
ticipated in by the Americans.
However, am unable to remember
the names of all If the places where
we fought.
My Dear Uncle:
lust a few lines to let you know
that | am still in the land of the liv-
ing after passing through experien-
,es that would seem impossible.
landed in France June %, after az
very: pleasant sea-. voyage. After;
spending seven days in what was
supposed to be, a rest camp we start-
ed slowly to the front-hlking IN the1
night and resting in the day. No one
but {. true American could have stood
the making of 80 kilometres at
time, and you know kllometre is
about five-eights Of mile. Food
was plentiful, sometimes, but we al
WAYS managed to make out. we
lived often under the Christian
Science rules, We relieved the Erench
at Guggenheim--this is not the brand
YOU may think oft is older-on
the goth of July. Near these trenches
was a stream where: the Dutch ana
French would have turns taking "a
bath, but that soon stopped when
thew found that the boys of the lloth'l
had taken over the sector. Ihey
used to walk around on the parapet
that is the top of lie trenches
before, we.arpived, hut after our
snirers got busy and upset few they
considered it. a dangerous pastiHe,
After fighting in this sector-Alsace-;
I.orrsine-2o days ave were. sent back
to billets for a rest. The billets I
speak of: are fcom barns" which
were rented by the government. Ver-
few nights there were when we were
not under shell fire OF the enemy.
We left soon, and on September re.
lieved another French division and
then 1t was that we had real trouble
with the Huns. l was made a COM
pany Gas N, Co. O.-and you want
to remember that we were beng
gasssd every day. While this was a
horrible job it was better than the
one / had previously-.a wet nurse
Nor seven men," September u we
started for the. big drive at V!erdun,
Il ~