The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-07-31
THE BELDINc BANNER-NEws
all are with you at home in heart and
thought many times day.

all are with you at home in heart and
thought many times day.
Since writing the above it has been
found out that the Boche raiding
troops opposite us were the specially
selected and raiding troops brought
here for this purpose and he tried us
first. He has tr ed three other bat
taliCns since. The others lost some
men as casualties so | consider we
were quite fortunate as the artillery
preparation against US was the most
ever heard The wounded are doing
fine.
Guy Wilson,
Major 125th Infantry.
The second letter is from Mrs. Will
bur Smith, formerly Miss Eta Hall,
and is made up from a number of
letters which she received from her
soldier husband. 1t is as follows:
Alma. Mich, July %, 1918.
Dear Editor:
The following are sketches of last
three letters frcm Wilbur, which /
received recently, and may be of in
terest TO some Of his friends.
June 16, 10, Somewhere in France.
The cum came out real bright this
a. m. then began to rain and. is still
raining. We packed up and got ready
to move today, as we expected to leave
this evening. Then at o'clock we
received orders to move in the morn
ing, that of course was good news to
us, as it is so rainy and wet to
march. Now because | say we are
going to move, do not worry and
think | am going to the trenches or
to the front, on the contrary | am 60
ing away from the front in the oppo-
site direction. | have never been
on the front and will not be for quite
a while yet. / think it is of little
value to the enemy, so / will say as
much as possible.
You have asked many times what
/ have to do and what organization
am in. Well, / am in what is known
as the Pioneer section, and the duty
of this organization is to build dug
outs, shelters and repair work is our
main duty. We have a bunch of men
of all trades. most of whom arc such
as carpenters, mechanics, masons and
several Of whom / cannot mention
here. We are going from place to
place doing this kind of work, mostly
construction. So now you can see
that / am in no great danger and any
way / am always very careful as you
know.
Our section is not regular fighting
unit, but of course we might have to
fight if Fritzie got after US too hard.
Without doubt the Boches have gone
just about as far as they can go, and
they soon will know that something
is going on, when they will be back
trailing for home.
How is everything around home?
! saw a report in Banner to the effect
that there will be new depot in
Belding. That will be fine. Will
it be at the same location as former
one? How are our dear ones? Tell
them hello for me and l send them
my love and best wishes as usual.
Received three Banners today and
two a few days ago, also the roll of
G.. r. papers. You need not worry
about me not receiving all of your
letters because | am getting all of
them now, can tell by the adtes. We
are expecting mail here in a short
now and hSv well know there
will be some for me. Yes, l always
receive my share of the mail, when it
arrives, and you know why, a-hem.
There is one young fellow in my sec
ton who cannot believe am married,
isn't that a joke? He is Polish
and doesn't understand English very
well.
| will join my friends the French
Sergeants in the place where we are
going and l am sure glad to be with
them again. They are both splendid
men and like them very well. /
have not seen Herman yet. but hope
to very soon. / saw Lee Holcomb
this p. m. and give him two Banners.
The boys from around home are all
well and fine. If you can tell Brin-
ton F. Hall that the article in Banner
by him urging people to buy Liberty
bonds was great and all the boys
from home thank him very much, and
also that / shall bring him a war
souvenir upon my return home.
1t has been very rainy here all day.
| am with my friends the f. SER
geants again and am so glad to be
with them. They were all so pleased
when they learned. that the American
Pioneer section was going to be with
them again. They are sure fine
bunch of soldiers and dear friends of
ours.
We have just finished fine supper.
/ have fresh milk for every meal and
have already let my belt out three
inches. / think shall need new
and larger one in few days, a-hem.
We constructed a roof over our
kitchen and made everything nice and
dry around it this p. m. The boys
are out playing ball with the French
soldiers and they are surely having a
grand time. We are the only Amer
leans here in this place with the
French, so you see we have no trou-
Bile at all in getting around with
them, as there are so few of us. We