The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-09
LIEUT.. BROWN
SENDS LETTER.
Former keokuk Doctor With the Medi-
cal Officers Reserve in France
is Now at the
Front.
WRITES TO MRS. BROWN
American Soldiers Arriving All the
Time and Those In Hospitals
Anxious to Return to
Fighting Line.

Fighting Line.
| Lieutenant William F. Brown, for
merly of Keokuk, but now with the
medical officers reserve in France
is now at the front. When he first
went to France he was assigned as
chief surgeon in one of the base hos
pitfalls.
A Letter to his wife, Mrs. Josephine
Brown, 31S North Fifth street follows:
Wen, here l go again before leave
| LOT the front. am now back with the
field hospital after a weeks surgery
with the base hospital and we are now
going up few miles on this side OF
where there is something doing all
the time. / am glad that we are to get
away and think that there will be
some very interesting work up there.
Everyone is in good spirits and the
boys in the hospital are all anxious
TO get back at the front Everywhere
are American soldiers and they are
coming all the time. l just left Mt.
Sinai base and everything is fine
there, but suppose that we will do our
next surgery on the field of action. l
am assigned to the surgical staff so
do not do anything but surgery and
there Is plenty of that for every one.
but nearly all the injured get well.
France Is Beautiful.
It is quite warm here today, but the
nights are fine and in this part of
France it Is not muddy so that makes
1t very much nicer. Mud makes it very
bad when you have it every day and
that is the way we have 1t in northern
France. / am getting to see a great
deal Of France by travelling this way
and it is very beautiful country. The
cattle all seem to be thoroughbreds
and the fields are just pictures. The
grapes are nearly ripe and the air is
very balmy. wish you could see the
here. Most anyone could
be romantic and sentimental IL you
had pretty girl. but when you are on
duty they are few and far between.
Monastery Scene Of Movie.
The last place / worked was a mon
astary that was built in 1880. Imag-
ine me monkeying around monas-
tary. 1 knew that If 1 did not cut out
my foolishness I would have to spend !
some time in some religious institu- |
ton. We had a movie. dance and a ,
mess hall in the old church, so I sup
pose the shades of the departed were !
restless. l am going to the
art gallery tomorrow to see the old i
masters and then away to somewhere
Just few miles Jhis side Of He'll, for
He'll it surely is when everything is
going right.
Hears Of keokuk Men.
Everyone is happy and we are all
glad. l had a patient or two from
60. L and they told me all about Dick
Hewitt and Coots Pollard. Coots is
,any and he is very intimate friend
If mine. They suffered quite heavily,
out did themselves proud and when l
heard of 1t Of course I swelled up
yreat deal to think that they came
rom my old town and you know l am
yery proud of the boys as l know al
most every one of them.
They're All Happy.
Everyone stills calls me Brownie
nd l suppose will not get away
rom that even for strangers. just ,
naturally adopt it. We are all very
Iappy and just like one big family .
yhen we get together. This Is no place
or petty jealousy. / am very sorry
hat we have no doctors from keokuk
nth us but the ones we have are all
licked men and very sociable and
cry capable. If
To the Front Soon. r
We are all equipped for surgery +
ere and will skip around as we are
eeded l have learned how to travel x
yer here now, so it is not much both Z
r. but we sometimes jump in and out d
n very short notice. Mail service is
OF very satisfactory but the govern
lent is doing everything in the world =
, make us happy. have not seen any
the Keokuk doctors, but will look
lem ND when get weeks leave and
robably go visit them. The men are
,ry enthusiastic about the action OF
,ctors at the front and although 1t
much more dangerous there We are
1xious to get near the front. A fei-
w might just as well be at nofile as
, in base for they are entirely out
the danger zone and they have all
e luxuries of home.
| wish I could visit with you today,
1t such is not to be just yet, but l
n smiling and happy and Soupie has
st blown, and I have a ravenous APP
,tite. The next epistle will not be
ritten from monastery and l will
IT be able to tell you where am,
If | will be somewhere and rest be
sured that I am just as lucky as
.er and very happy.
Mail Carrier in Air.