Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-23

Mr.. I. II Pierce Of Morse street, Al
gusta. received a letter recently from
his son Pvt Harvey V. Pierce who lett
Augusta. Aug. 1917 with the Bradbury
unit. The letter in p.rt follows
|, AS the censorship has lifted ] Will try
and tel. you what have been doing
for the past year. On Dec. 20. 1917 we
landed at Saint %azaire. France. We
left the states, on the 9TH OF DECEMBER
and were on the water for 10 days. we
ran into q terrible storm at sea, ana
for a while we did not think we would
reach land, for the waves ran so hlSn
that the water came III around the en-
zines, and for three days We dFltted'
but finally we made shore and 1t was
han bunch, fer land never looked so
good. In st. Nazaire We Joined the eth
Regiment of Marines to which we were
attached and which I was with when
wounded. from st. NaZaire We went
across France to little village by the
name of Rozer We staid there until
February when we started with the
Marines for the front. We went to the
N,rdun front and were stationed IN a
little village by the lane OF 1royon,
about a mile back Of the front line
trenches, and IL range OF the German
Artillery / staid there only two Gays.
and on the third day WIS sent up TO q
village by the name Of Rovorce passing
. through LecroiX which was IN runs.
In Rovorce there was not whole
house standing. Only four OF US were
/ sent I'D. We were placed in nice little
dugout, which was alive with rats,
where We had to work during the day
that was camoufa ged for we were in
rlain view of the Germans. l later was
sent up into the trenches. went out on
patrol a number of times across NO
Mans Land. but in May we left this
place to go out on rest. We went
back to a little place by the name Of
Magney about forty miles from Paris
and / was in Paris every, day for ten
DAYS. On May 30th. we. left for Belleau
Woods. for the French could not hold
their lines. We were the first Aneri
cans to go in On that front. and at that
time the Germans were coming for Par
is, | was put with the 18th Co, 9Th
Regiment Of Marines and we went in
their best 10 drive us. but you know
TIE .mericans do not know what re-
treat means. We had to dig holes in the
woods to keep out of the machine gun
fire and the shrapnel for they sent over
barrage after barrage killing and
wo ding many of our men. and keep
ing me busy both day and night, for I
was first aid man to fix up the wounds
on the field. Finally or the morning OF
June eth at A NJ. we started across
an open wheat field in the face of many
German machine gun nests, where We
worked our way foot by foot, ran
little ways and then dropped fat on
our faces with bullets moving the
wheat over our heads. ! never expect
ed to get scross thai field alive but did,
and was knocked out that night by one
Of the big boys, and that was all the
front ! had.
I got back where m company was
stationed or rather was carried back by
an ambulance and there they had taken
church and ripped the seats out Of it.
Hundreds of the Marin es were in there
or stretchers. From there I was sent
to Base No. in Paris. staid there one
night and left the next day on a Red
Cross train for Base 20. 5 just out Of
ST. Nazaire, was there for sometime
and then went 10 Base No. II farther
south. was there until Sept 18th when
I was semitic a classification camp. and
was put in 3 2 class and sent to Base
No for light duty. So here am, for
how long do not kno-- but here's hop
ing we viii soon cross the Atlantic. 7