The courier-index., 1918-11-29
LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS
 (Continued from first page)

again-of the successful season so far. l hope someday to get back to it. Little did we realize when l call ed up from Memphis that was going to fly that within fifteen months 1 would be over the hottest part of the front. It is hot-impossible to go over without a combat.
 The squadron has official credit of ten Boche and we are morally cer- tain of eight more. l am in on three of the official and two of the eight. We gnerally go in a formation and several observrs concentrate their fire on one Boche, so usually several in the flight get the credit The pilot gets as much credit as the observer even though he doesn't fire shot. So you see there is chance of one becoming an ace without firing a shot Funny, isn't it?
 Lieut.. Thos. Jervey (South Caro- lina), observer, and our ordnance of ficer, with Lieut. Vic Strohn, pilot yesterday ran into fourteen. IL was hot fight. Tom got two of them One down in flames and one down out of control The plane was shot up-badly. Tom thought he heard one hit the cmera, so after they were safely over our side he went all over it. looking for the hole to plug 1t ur with his handkerchief so that the light would not ruin the plates. Then 10 ho c1x iy, r1 pQt the pictures. They saw the Boche land at their airdrome, then went over the course and got the pictures They went about thirty kilometers in Germany It was good work.
 Our losses haven't been so heavy considering the observation we have met. We are outnumbered in the air on this front but we have the best of it.
 We lost one of the old men in the squadron by a direct hit of anti-air craft, a three inch high explosive shell. It hit behind the observers cockpit and blew the tail to pieces One of the best flyers and one of the best observers in the squadron.
 Guion Armstrong (Memphis) in a of our own barage. When a plane is hit like that it is the rottenest luck in the world. Only one chance in a thousand of it happening
 Three of us had scrap with be tween thirty and forty Roche several days ago. We got two of them. One of our pilots (Haughton-his first time over the lines) was hot in the hip. Not serious wound After oui fight he went down. I followed him and we landed at the nearest air drome. One of his tires was punctur ed but he made a good landing. We got him out of the machine and sent him to the hospital, as game as they make them.
 The squadron has done good work Three thousand, five hundred photo graphs. 40 combats, 30.000 kilometers over enemy territory. You know was happy and proud to get in it Our major is the best in the service | He has had more hours over the lines than any American major or the front and official credit for two Boche. He should be a colonel soof and will probably get the D. S. c. I have had over 130 hours at tho front. Feeling fine and like tho work. Also have single scatter O my own now.
 The attack started again this morn ing. With Turkey and Austria out O
 it, the end should be almost here
 The American doughboy can eat thu
 Roche up anyway.
 heard from Angus while he wa,
 there-lucky beggar. l wrote him ol
 the 20th. Also got the paper whicl
 I think someone in the Bank of Mari anna sent me. Surely rotten tha
 such big fire should come. Rathe
 hard on everyone I know.
 Remember me to Mrs. Hilton an'
 the kiddies. Also MT Hugh Mixol
 and everybody.
 Best of luck to yourself.
 Sincerely.