Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-12-27
WRITES XMAS
LETTER TO DAD"
Wilfred LeVeilIe Writes Enter
tainingly of the Life of a
Soldier in France
Tours, France, Nov. %, 1918

Tours, France, Nov. %, 1918
Dear Pa: This letter is to be de-
voted to you as we all have day over
here in which we are to write to our
fathers This is to be addressed
Dads Christmas letter. and that in
sures special delivery.
Well here another year has nearly
slipped by and this Christmas l will
be in France. | was positive last
Christmas that the next one would be
spent with you but it seems as though
something always turns up but the
few short months that Will pass before
/ can be home with you are numbered.
am confident that we will all see each
other in the next five or six months,
and won't it be q happy reunion?
Allyn and /, being in the same regi-
ment, will in all probability be home
together. 1t hardly seems nearly
three years since | left home and here
| am nearly 81 years old. ! little
thought at the time that / left that I'd
I be gone this length of time, but I'll
youch for myself being home in the
next year. The censor is lifted today
so l don't see any harm in telling you
where / am We are stationed at
Tours, France, not far behind the
| lines We surely would have seen
action had not the Germans quit as
quick as they did, as we are a fighting
outfit and it was not little disappoint-
ment to us to be kept out of it. |
have seen hundreds of German and
Austrian prisoners who seem to be
loyer-jOyed at the conclusion of the
war Lots of them are mere kids.
| Allyn is stationed in d little village
not far from here doing the same line
of duty as / am.
/ wish | could be in Paris for the
next few months as King George and
President Wilson with all the allied
presidents and kings of the entente
will be there. That will be the most
historic event that ever took place. |
can't think of any greater. Think of
the nations involved and the greatest
men the world has ever produced.
I witnessed a very pretty ceremony
here a few days ago when the allied
colors were blessed. We presented
our colors and marched as a body
guard 100 strong, with our band.
There were four bishops who took
part The Catholic priests and bish-
ops here shave a spot about as large as
dollar on the top of their heads. 1t
is plainly seem that the Catholic cus-1
toms here haven't changed a bit in the
last five Or six centuries. The priests
all wear cassocks on the streets and
low, -brimmed derby hats.
| visited one of the oldest cathe
drals in France few days ago, having
been started in the fourth century. It
surely was wonderful. In it were
kept old relics and some Of the most
wonderful paintings and sculpture
work There were names carved in
the belfry of the steeple and one was
dated 100, while another was dated
1910. I proceeded to put mine there.
Just private in the American army.
l am becoming quite fluent with the
French language being nearly able to
converse with a French Mademoiselle
now / believe my vocabulary con-
sists Of nearly Vingt words
We're all tickled to death that it's
over and now our prospects of an early
homecoming loom up like Mt. Rainier
on bright day, and what makes
things nearly as pleasant is the word
that was passed around recently to
the effect that we were to have turkey
for Thanksgiving
I will write again before Christmas,
but it may not reach you until later.
With the very best wishes for a
happy Christmas and New Year, | re-
main, Your obedient son,
WILFRED.
Private Wilfred D. LeVeille
Headquarters 18th Reg, Marines