Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-09-27
BRYAN HEISE ON DUTY
AT THE FRONT
In France, Aug. 25, 1918.
)e9r Mother and Father.

AT THE FRONT
In France, Aug. 25, 1918.
Dear Mother and Father:
/ expect you are anxious and
eagerly awaiting a letter from me-
as you think l am at the front At
present | am now back at our amb-
ulance base, and my trick at the front
is over for a time. The job of first
aid and stretcher bearer is easy as
long as there is no action. All we do
at the front is eat and sleep, but as
soon as there is much action we must
work like the Deuce" My job is
working from the trenches back to
the awaiting ambulance. You see
sometimes the ambulances cannot pet
up to the line as the shell fire is too
heavy. AS a result we must carry
the men back and that IS the job OF
the litter bearers. Then III the big
drive we must go wherever the
wounded are; and according to re
ports we are sent as far as it is pos
sible to go. So you see our job is
far from the easy and safe joD one
might at first think it to be. | am
entirely satisfied with the work and
as a private much OF my time is my
own and manage to get some books
from the "Y" and Red Cross and
really enjoy myself.
Right here let me put in good
word for the "Y". 1t IS doing mighty
ine work and certainly should receive
every ones support. Let me relate
an incident that occurred a short time
ago. A certain group of companies
we're on the move. You people back
home can not conceive of the discom-
forts Of a forced march with full
packs and a crowded ride in the small
dinky French cars, these cars say on
the outside, "8 horses or 40 men.
There are no seats, just fiat floor
with only room for eight horses, when
forty men with their packs are
thrown in one can't lay down, as
there is not enough room, you just
sort of squat around. Then when we
move in these cars you get very little
to eat as the kitchen can not be set up
and you eat nothing but cold 'bully
beef" and hard bread. l am not
kicking concerning this as much of it
cannot be helped. Now to tell you
of these men and what the "Y" did
These fellows with their heavy packs
made long forced march then board
ed their train and rode for about
three days. They had very little 10
eat. Tired? oh SO tired. Finally
word was passed along the line that
we should all get out and get some
thing to eat, as a 'Y" was serving
hot coffee and cookies. In the early
dawn these fellows crawled out and
one by one the companies filed by
each fellow holding out his cup fol
all it would hold and getting it. Tc
this day that scene is vivldly i'm
pressed on my mind. If you haC
been there then you would under.
stand how that hot drink and bit OF
food was appreciated. But as the
men were cold, tired and exhausted
the "Y" came forward with it's help
The fellows simply held out their cups
and many could not even say "thanl
you," as that little touch of human
affection was shown to them. Be
fore that line was finished there wa;
not a dry eye among the antee,
servers, for it was one of those rar;
intervals when human love and de
votion, combined with thankfulnes!
and appreciation on the part of thC
fellows expressed itself in almost
divine service. That is just on,
little bit of the "Y" work. So yol
see that is the thing that makes il
remember that the people back hom
do want to keep in touch with u
The work of the "Y" expresses one o
the reasons why l am now so gla
l am in this branch of the service
You know the glory and honor goe
to the fellows with the guns and
give them every bit that is coming
to them as they are doing the job
but father and mother as l Sc
men come into the trenches and NOR
and more going hither and thithe
can't help but think of the home
back home, of the mothers, fathers
brothers and sweethearts. Then yo
know, when / think about that, tn
work of the stretcher bearer is tn
work that will make some home hap
py again. When the smoke clear
and rolls back, when the lull come
in all drives, then the first aid an
litter carriers, who have been simpl
Carrying on" through it all will Sc
that his job is the only one in tn
whole inferno that makes for love an
happiness.
Yes he is the only one who work
to save for the people back hom'
AS these thoughts go through m
mind can't help but feel that / am
the right branch and really am doin
the thing l should be doing. l don
mean to be throwing bouquets at oU
service but l just can't help but te
you why 1 have chosen this branc
and how satisfied l feel towards l
While at the front was under SON
small shell fire. One hears the e.
plosion of the German gun then tt
whine of the shell and soon the e,
= plosion. 1t was very quiet at OIL
front and the shelling of the Allie
positions was rare. When an attat
starts you just duck for cover and L
them fire away until they get tire
: There witnessed my first air figl
:, The Allied planes had been fiyir
low all morning and rather baitir
the Germans. Finally the Germs
planes hove in sight and the fight w;
on. 1t was about noon. The plan
were flying so high it was -difficu
to see them. But you could hear Il
rat-a-tat of the machine guns as the
| played their fire on one another, sot
one plane started out from the re
and tried to circle around back to Il
German line but he couldn't make
and from about the heighth of 30I
feet he started to fall The plal
fell head first and plunged to Il
ground about hundred yards fro
our station. The German await
was shot through the head with
machine gun bullet and evident
was dead before he hit the groun
Enclosed is a piece Of the body of t
plane l broke off before the qua
was established. l returned to t
base for our company only to
I! bombed by the German plane