The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-07
CAMP WALTON BOY
TELLS EXPERIENCE
France, Oct IL, 1918.

glad to hear from you. We are still
in a sector where the French andAm-
orleans have been doing some fine
fighting at very small casualty list.
but very destructive to the Prussians.
1t seems impossible for US to make
such gains and to take so many pris-
oners without great loss, but we are
doing il every day.
Guess you have seen by the papers
Of the great gains made by the Eng
lish and Italians. They have also
gained territory, towns and villages
that person would think almost inn
possible but l know they have taken
them all The German lines today are
far behind the famous Hindenburg
lines which are no more.
| firmly believe that the morale of
the German people is broken. I also
believe that the end is far nearer than
most people really realize. Bulgaria
completely out, Turkey forced to a
complete surrender and the Austrians
barely holding on through fear of the
kaiser. When we take bunch OF
prisoners it seems like most OF them
are Austrians. Just as quick as our
artillery throws over their barrage
then comes the men who crawl over
between the lines and blow up the
barb wire entanglements. then comes
the infantry over the top and seems
like the Austrians are already pre-
pared to surrender, for just as soon
as they crawl out of their trenches
they put their hands above their
heads and cry "Kamarad,'' but some
times we are met with very stubborn
resistance Every conceivable place
is used for machine gun nests. When
we find a place like that we arc
forced to sacrifice some of our men,
but rest assured that for every man
we loose his loss is paid for very dear
iy by the enemy
A short time ago on one OF our
fronts party of somewhere near $50
Germans came out of their trenches
waving everything white they could
get hold OF, then when our boys came
up to them and lowered their rifles
the Germans dropped their hands and
began to throw hand grenades infiict-
ing quite a loss. but there are some
Germans from that bunch who viii
never re-enter their Fatherland The |
very lowest truckers is resortrad to by |
them. but we have got next to most |
of their treachery.
wish | could tell you the dates |
and places but OF course | can't But |
perhaps I may be able to write Won |
things OF interest. A few days ago l |
was in one-time large city in Al |
sace-Lorraine territory, one of the |
strongest fortified cities of the world |
and there isn't place in the town |
that hasn't been hit by shell and most |
OF the buildings are a mass OF ruins |
The only place of abode now is the |
town which is very large. |
was in cathedral that was begun |
in tho 18th century and a fine piece |
OF Gothic structure, but if WAS al |
most in ruins. but the priest still re- /
manned in 1t. I have been In a great |
many towns and VILLAGES here and /
most of them are literally in ruins
In some OF the towns taken recently !
there wene French prisoners who had |
been prisoners since 1914. Try to i'm
agine the way thew acted when they /
saw they were out Of the hands OF |
Tho Germans! One old woman would |
nudge to be nearing the 100 mark who |
was so badly bent she could hardly /
walk but when the Americans came
by her she was clapping her hands
and irving to jump I'D and down ex-
Bon Americansr' But just
his morning she passed away.
When the Germans evacuated this
town they took - Young nirls with
hem. II could tell YOU all | know
'ou would not wonder that the French
lave fought so dcsnerately. On every
corner one can see he effeats OF
and President Wilson'S
answer to the German peace proposal
VAS the answer of every American
,ver here. Our men over here say |
Surrender now and save yourself
IT keen on till the end" which means /,
he end of PrussianiSm either way. :
From recent renorts coming in I
,uess Co. D, 81 Ensineers, is being
recognized as one of the. most eff
lent company Of men in the foreign !.
,srvice. So YOU see that it makes
ONE of us feel good to know we have
chance of recognition even i'm this
COUNTRY. ! think we have some of 4