The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-17
WINFIELD BOY TELLS OF LIFE IN FRANCE

A Mother,s Day letter from Solon
 Whitehead of Winfield to his mother,
 Mrs. Newton S. Whitehead, gives some
 interesting gossip Of quiet zone in
 France. He writes:
 Dear Mother: Today is Mothers Day
 over here. Everyone who has a mother
 will write home today and I will not be
 stacker.
 Ut is needless to tell you that we are,
 indeed, proud to be the sons of such
 noble mothers, and glad of the oppor- tunity to fight and die if necessary for
 the mothers who gave us life, and for the
 greytest nation under the sun. I've realize the sacrifice the mothers of American have made, and will con tinue to make that we may have the best. Every day we see the evidence of some mothers love and patriotism; al though only a small something, pair of gloves, helmet; just some small piece for the comfort of her boy; something tc
 make life more pleasant for him. Of course you have never been called upon
 to make the sacrifice that the mothers of France, Belgium or England have been called upon to make, but know if the time comes, and hope it may never, that the mothers of America will not be ,, one whit behind their sisters over the
 sea.
 Tt is raining here again today. Doesn't
 look as if it will ever quit, but guess we will have some pretty weather be- fore long; at least. hope so.
 "On d pretty day, from where I am you can see many miles each way, and some cf the prettiest country I have ever seen anywhere. I can see several miles behind the German lines, even into Ger many, itself. Many days I sit here and looking across the trenches when there is not even a cloud of smoke from a
 shelf to mar the unbroken beauty of the
 woods and meadows that two lines of
 men can be seen over there on the hill, watching and listening for the slightest movement, or sound from the other to take a crack at him. But such is war in a quiet sector.
 sometimes Fritz tries one of his old tricks, but he hardly ever tries to pull the same stunt twice on Tank" for he has about found out Yankee IS not at all slow on putting one over once in
  Yankee frequently, especially when he gets a good chance to pull big one over Fritz, for they surely enjoy putting one over on him. They sometimes catch him building something and just lie low till l he is almost done and just ready to con gratulate himself on his efficiency, when .boomv and down it goes like 1 stack of cards. Don't mistake me- I though. for Fritz is good at putting l things over. This is by no means one sided affair We have a great task be- l fore use and it is going to be hard 1 and long one, fear. but 1 have no doubt as to the success of the allied armies, 1 for we have got to win. I know that's the feeling that all good and patriotic people back home have, too. What is the matter that the kids have quit writing? I guess they think because don't write them that don't care anything for their letters, but 1t I is not that way. enjoy reading them 1 all. I can't write each one Of you like I would like to. but when I write to one it is to all Tell them to write me often.
 1 "Tell Grandmother and Christine I hello for me and give them my best regards Although don't write to them, I have not forgotteD them al all. Well. mother you need not mind about sending me much tobacco and cigarettes at present TOT Dy lucky chance I've about got in a good supply. lO Of course I appreciate them. but it is I so much trouble for you and it takes so | long to get them; it took the other package you sent me nearly three months to get here. but they were in good shape and sure did come in handy
 But now we can get plenty of tobacco
 and toilet articles at the Y. M. c. A. I've also have g government issue of l tobacco.
 Well, see many of the boys wear ling service stripes; some of them just enlisted few weeks before we left l the States; and some of them have won
 the French medal Croix De Geurre. So 1 you see how soon war makes veteran out of raw recruit. Haven't received my service stripe yet, but am entitled l to wear one as I've been in the ad- lvance zone six months.
 Well. mother. give my love to daddy | and the kids. am always
 l Your loving son.
 PRIVATE SOLON WHITEHEAD, lHeadquarters Detch.. 42d Div. Amer. | ican E. F.''
 ! Since this letter was written Privats 1 Whitehead has been given his servicS