The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-11-20
LETTERS STILL
TELL OF PARTS
TAKEN IN BATTLES
LOCAL BOYS WRITE FROM FIELD,
TRENCH AND HOSPITAL OF
AMERICAN PLAYS IN WAR.

CITY. n llLLle mdtter Ol Wouuueu
finger isn't going to keep Billy from
getting back after the Huns and he
undoubtedly took part in the fighting
again after he got out OF the hospital
Oct. 8, 1918.
Nv Dear Folks at Home:
/ am feeling fine and dandy. Hope
everybody is at home. Mother. it is
funny youQ do not hear from me.
got card from the Red Cross some
time ago saying that ycn had not
heard from me in long time and that
you were worrying about me. / hope
you have heard from me by this time.
/ have written every time / could.
have been in six pretty hard battles
and this is the first scratch have got.
I am now in the hospital. i got one
of my fingers cut on my right hand; it
isn't very bad. / will soon be back
with the company in a few days. You
see my finger is not very bad.
am writing this letter with it.
/ have been exceedingly lucky. The
Lord is with me. / am trusting in
Him every day. He is the only one
that will bring me back home. l
think this war will soon be over.
We have driven the huns back many
miles. l have been on front lines
since the 1st of January. / think
have done my title bit in this war,
but / am wiling to go on. / think this
division will get a rest pretty soon.
Mother, / think / have received every
letter you have written. 1t seems
funny you do not get my letters. You
see when am in tie front lines fight
ing and there you cannot write and
when we get back few miles / an
swer right back. / can't write much,
some times l write and the company
carries the mail around for some time.
We can't tell how long we stay in one
place. 1t may be day and may be
weeks. Well, / must close, hoping
you get this for you know how / wor-
Nv about YOU / will be home soon.
Goodbye with love to all, your low
ing son,
VIM. H. Bunce,
Co. G, 18th Inf, 1st Division, A. E. F.
Lyle Madden, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Chas. w. Madden, writes the follow
ing optimistic letter to his parents.
Lyle takes his father good naturedly
to task for an alleged borrowing of
fish to have his picture taken with.
Somewhere in France, Sitting in a
Large Shell Hole, Oct. 3. 1918.
Dear Mother and Father:
Well, as this is the first day since
we have been on this drive that it
has not rained or hailed, l will try
and answer your letters.
got four from Mother dated Aug.
26. Sept. 4, IL and Is, and two from
Dad dated Augf % and Sept. IL, also
one from Hattie, Lulu and Otto, Mrs.
Bailey and Dana so you see / will be
pretty busy.
But l have not very much else to
do because it has been so muddy that
you can't do anything with motor
cycles or automobiles and besides
have been laid up on this drive.
/ was not quite sick enough for
them this time and / got both legs
plastered with mustard gas but am
nearly all healed up but they sure
were very painful. had spots on
my legs as big as your hand and burn
ed in as deep as silver dollar is
thick, but they are nearly all healed
up now, so don't worry bit and just
tell Dad that had it coming and that
/ am still in the game and also way
ahead, l am holding big odds.
Our regiment, the 126th took over
800 prisoners this morning and the
Boches are goin~ so fast we can't
hardly keep up.
Poor Lit. Girard got back from the
hospital and took command of the
company on this drive and was killed
the morning of Oct. 5.
When / was down to dinner yester-
day l saw Dickerson. the sporting ed
itor of the G.. R. News and had talk
with him. He is going to give the
boys write up and / gave him my
name and so did Kenneth. So keep
watch for it and cut it out and send
it in a letter because we don't get
papers very good.
If / get a chance when we get out
Of this drive | will send some more
souvenirs. They have stopped the
fellows sending Boche helmets and
stuff like that; they were too much,
but may be able to get something
through later.
Oh, now / suppose we are not show
ing up the d. Germans, they are cry
ing for peace now, the towards, they
dare not stay and fight, they have fin
ally found out the difference between
fighting and fooling. pretty mad just
them
received the pictures you sent and
sure enjoyed them and say Dad, what
ever you do be sport and don't bor-
row any more fish to have your pic
ture taken with because those look
just like the fish that Bill Clark
caught and besides your casting rod
never had rubber butt handle and all
agate guides, Ha. Ha. But won't
tell the rest of the fellows this time
but don't try and get by with any
more Of that stuff, you old son-of-a "a
gun. / suppose those trout that you
had your picture taken with, Forrest
caught.
Well, it is nearly time for supper SO
will close for this time I heard
from Levi Haskins the other day and
he did not lose his arm, but it always
will be stiff. Well from the old
bunch that left Ionia with Co. d there
are just nine Of us left.
Will say good bye for this time and
Mother for the love of Mike try and
- l. =