Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1918-07-27
FROM over SEAS.
LETTER FROM DIR. LEAvITT.
Atlantic Ocean.


From the heading you can see
that I am now we'll on the way to-
wards France and soon will be doing
my bit to help shatter the Huns
dream of Worlds conquest and the
saenslavement of all nations. From
now or ] will be deprived OF news
from Dear Old Nevada to great
extent. From what can learn OF
the correspondence situation I'll
France, letters from me will be promp
tly forwarded, provided nothing in
them conflicts with the rules of the
s Censor, but the mail to me will be
delivered sometime. 1t must be
stupendous task for our mail auth
critics in France to keep track OF
such an enormous body of men as
soon will be in that country and to be
able to deliver their mail to them.
1t may require considerable time to
do it but they will see that our mail
punches. The policy of your paper of
sending copies to all men in the Z. ).
Service is a very commendable one
and assure you is fully appreciated
by those isolated from the news from
home. The Times will never find a
more appreciative reader than the
boys in France In compliance with
your request, | am sendingg you my
address. Until further notice it will
be as follows; 1t. Granville f. Leav-
lit, MR.C. American expeditionary
Forces, via New York City. We
want local papers more than we do
Dailies, so keep up the good work.
In place of scanning them as many do
at home we promise to read every
thing, including ads and corn cures.
| am not permitted to give the
dates of departure or arrival number
of men on the train, cities passed
through or anything else that might
lead to the enemys estimating the
number or equipment OF the men or
point OF embarkation for France but
would like to give you brief out
line of the impression made upon me
as passed thrugh the states EN- route
to the point OF embark ton. Sufflce it
to say that in due course OF time
left the training camp, and IN four
days arrived al the point OF EMBARK
alton.
You should have seen the enthus-s
iasm of this contingent 'of officers
Spd men. We were al excited, had
! lr baggage ready fog the train hours
Tefore the appointed time and laid II
a supply of cigars, cigarettes and
matches and with heads up and with
blood in our eyes were ready for the
first lap towards the Battle Field OF
France" In order to move a large
body OF men when not permanently
attached to some organization it is
necess sary to divide them into smaller
detachments with Captain. mess
sergeants and two Lieutenants in Com
mand The duty OF these officers is
to see that the men under them get
onto the train. that proper provision
for their food supply has been made
and that none are lost Ell route, Some
job" when you have live bunch,
Every time the train stops to permit
the men to take little exercise the
ioll must be called to see that all are
back. OF course we were instructed
in the kind OF information that we
were permitted to give the inquiring
public. Wa were not hllowed to
state where we came from or where
we were going, excepting that we
were going across. We were we'll
fed and travelled in Pullmans. What
more could man desire?
If | ever had any doubt regarding
the hearty support of the American
people in this great war my journey
to the port of embarkation would have
dispelled it. Travelling on special
train with no one knowing the rail
roads we were to go over and the
cities and towns along the various
lines had no way of hearing that d
troop train was to come along, yet
throngs of people would be at the
depots, streets, highways and on the
back porches of the houses waving
, flags and cheering us on and wishing
us "God-speed" Even locomotive
engineers broke the railroad rules and Z
footed their whistles enthusiastically
as we sped by them. The roar OF
the whistles was deafening when we
passed through railroad centers. AT
times a dozen locomotives would be
whistling at one time At other
times this din. of noise would have
been maddening but under these cir
cumstances it had an inspiring effect.
! could feel the waves OF JOY and en-
thuslasm, tempered with that mex
ssible something that brings tears
fythe eyes, coursing through my en-
tire body, 1t made me feel proud OF
the fact that | was one of the recip-
tents of their enthusiastic greetings
and with tears in my eyes silently
expressed my thanks to these my fel-
low citizens May God bless them
and permit them to be able to greet
every train Of soldiers that passes
through their towns. Ii is good med