Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-17
OUR BOYS
OUR CoUNTRY'S SERVICE

Mrs. Wesley Peacock Of Bennett
street. Augusta. recently received the
following letter from her son. Private
schn Allen, Company D, 103d Infan-
try:
Somewhere in France.
June 80, 1915
Dear Mother:
Just received two letters that were
written May 80 and June s and was
mighty glad to get them and will try
and answer them and was glad you
mentioned Mr.. Malcolm. l will write
him the next letter. Well, l am with
my company and am feeling fine.
We just came out of the trenches for
a rest. The last place we left was
quite ticklish but it was not the
worst one. We were in a little village
that was pretty well shot to pieces
ard they would play their machine
guns on the roads and believe me,
we would hug the ground when they
came close. The last day we were in it
was a fine day too / was standing on
my post on guard by an old church
and about IL o'clock they thought l
was to- comfortable. / guess. so they
SHOT over about Is big ones. They
came close but not enough. Don't
! worry, l don't think you will ever
| have to change the color Of the stars
on your flag. You are worrying more
than | am, I never stop to think
about it. / didn't get much gas. 1
! am feeling just as good as before now.
just got enough to make me sick
| for awhile.
! Old Fritz came over last night in
! the air for a change and dropped a
| few bombs in the town we were in.
] don't think he did much damage
! J didn't pay enough attention t. find
out.
Give my regards to Mrs. Spencer
and Malcolm and Mrs. Tibbetts.
Tell Wesley that | hope he gets a
sood job, it seems as if he had. | got
the picture you sent me Of Ruth and
! Carl and was some pleased to get
IT,
doing 30 wei! over there. | wish YOU
could see the good they do here.
Leave it to me L know by experience
that is better than reading. The
, Salvation Army is doing good work
TOO, and they are not very scared
people. either. / have seen their girls
within four or five miles from the
lines while they were under shell fire
anyway. One. day last week we
came from the lines and stopped in
q little town about two miles from
the front, there We're shells falling
III there every hour or so and | was
t!red and hungry and before our
cooks could get q meal ready for us.
! ! was walking around the town and
Say Il little hole in the ground wi tn
a sign stuck UP beside of it with
Salvation Army on it, and | went
down and they had coffee free of
.oLarge and YOU could buy oranges.
cookies and doughnuts cheap, and
believe me | had some feed in little
'lugout about 20 feet underground run
hy the Salvation Army, and believe
me we appreciate those places.
(; I would like to have seen that
parade, YOU with your flag with only
one loncsom star in it. Tell Wesley
| am not trying 10 scare him. I only
. tctice cooking graham rolls for
an comins ~.ome day when the whole
world is - ppy.
You srSaa about ne moving pic
Tubes Of this country over here
Wei, did yol see, any taken Of a
hospital in a large city in France. I
was in one of them. You may see
hem vet, they will be shown all over
the states.
You wanted to know If had
money enough. 1 have So francs left
o month and one franc is twenty
cents in American money. That is a
great plenty for over here.
/ have answered quite few ques-
ticns this time. 1t is getting dark
ard have no light, 50 will close with
love from your loving son.
PVT. JOHN ALLEN,
Co. D, 1896 L. S. Inf, A. E. F.