The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-08-23
News From Our
Boys in Service
A Letter From Lieut.. Pipkin

service stripe Saturday, according to
an interesting letter just received by
his mother, Mrs. Merrill Pipkin, OF
PIG West Central avenue, Miami
| Okla, which has been sent to The
Times.
The letter, telling Of conditions in
France and his impression Of the peo-
pie, follows:
Just think, / have been over here
almost six months and / will be en-
titled to my service stripe on the
10th of August, for we get "V'
shaped gold braid for each six months
service This is worn on the left arm
below the elbow, and similar stripe
is given for every wound received
while in action and it is worn on the
right arm.
l am very happy to be here, but
of course longing for my loved ones
back home. France, in spite of her
last four trying years, is still very
beautiful and the people are exceed
ingly kind, amiable, hospitable and
have an affection and alteration for
the American soldier that practically
amounts to idolatory.
They celebrated the Fourth of July
with much more enthusiasm and fer
vor than it ever was celebrated in the
States. The French, especially the
peasants, think that we are some kind
of supernatural creatures and that
there is nothing that we cannot do or
accomplish. One day while / was
Officer of the Day, a poor old lady and
her daughter appeared at the guard
house and requested that docteur
American IAN American doctor) be al
lowed 10 come to see the husband and
father whom they told me was tres
malade very ill). l very politely
asked her why she didn't secure a
French doctor, and tried to explain
to her that is was against A. E. F.
orders and would be establishing a
precedent for our surgeons and ply
sicians to administer to those other
than our own men. She said that doc
tour Frencais French doctor) was pas
bon (no good). Out of sheer sympa-
thy | directed an enlisted man of the
medical department to accompany
them to see the old man and just as
American, the psychological effect;
the supreme confidence in our men
brought him around almost immc-
diately. The man was suffering from
acute indigestion and few powders,
plus massaging and implicit conf
dence, was sufficient to put him ON his
feet again. / merely mention this,
for 1T is typical of the confidence and
love the French people have for US. If
the American soldier never does any
thing else, he will deserve, and will
surely receive his reward for his kind
ness to the poor little children of
France. Really | believe there is no.
thing in the world mot even mothers
love) that is so inspiring, SO hallowed,
so truly beautiful as this great af-
lection and love that exists between
the children of France and the Amer
lean soldier. Each finds in the other
that which the war has taken away
from each. Everywhere that you sec
soldiers on leave, they are surrounded
by scores of children. Sometimes you
will see "Yank" with a mere baby in
each arm and perhaps one on each
knee.
The regiment to which am attach
cd has it's headquarters in one Of the
larger cities of France. On the morn
ing of the Fourth we paraded in the
plaza in the center of the city. We
put on Regimental Review in which
approximately 10000 troops partici-
pated. The entire populace for miles
around was out zen masse" to greet
US and they, naturally being a demon
strative race, their enthusiasm and
demonstrations of appreciation knew
no bounds.
In the afternoon there was a mon
ster field meet, in which troops from
the field artillery camps, the ammuni-
ton trains and the base hospital No.
81 competed. There were many noted
athletes among the troops, men from
practically every State in the Union.
| won the mile race in fast time, in a
race in which there were sixteen en-
trants. We ran in heavy trench shoes,
leggings and with regulation uniform
without blouse. / am in as good con-
dition physically today as / was ten
years ago, and most of the men COM
peting against me were from ten to
fifteen years younger than I.
The A. E. F. censorship rules are
changed so often that it keeps us
guessing as to what we can and can
not write. / have travelled much since
I've been in France and l have had
some very real and exciting exper-
fences since here as well as on the boat
on the trip across the water. The
ship that we came over on as well as
another of the same convoy have been
sunk by submarines since.
l was in Paris for twelve hours one
Sunday between trains and it certainly
is a wonderful and most interesting
place and is indeed without doubt the
"hub" Of the universe. It certainly
is unfortunate that there are SO many
people who for the lack of few dol
lars cannot see more of this beautiful
world. This country is marvelously
improved-the roads are superb; the
houses substantial and in peace times
practically everlasting. There is abb
solutely no waste; the land is very
productive and always in state Of
intensive cultivation which Is main.
tanned by scientific methods Of fer.
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