The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-07-06
LETTER FROM REV. CROKER

til recently head OF the Modern Lang
uage department Of the college, be
cause Of absence from his canteeen on
leave, scaped capture by the Ger
man. Major Epson was operating
one of the Red Cross rolling canteens
which serves the French and Ameri-
can soldiers with hot soup and coffee
on their way to and from the trench
es. His canteen an dthose Of two 9th
er Americans were captured.
The following community letter has
been received from Rev. VIM. A.
Crozier, who entered the Y. M. c. A.
service last fall and is now on active
service with the American Expert
tionary Force in France.
June, 9, 1918
Dear Folks
In sunny France, and hot too even
in this part of the cline in the place
our boys first took over on the front.
Two months ago today / landed in
this beautiful country and rode for
hundreds of miles before ever seeing
sign of war, except soldiers. A busy
time it has been too, filled with so
much it seems as if / had been he
for many months. A week was spent
in Paris getting ready for the work
aere. While there Bertha entertain
ed us eother by day or by night saw
some Of her handiwork. Visited the
church hit on Good Friday, went
through an air raid, and spent a half
hour in a wine cellar, sans wine, UNI I
Fritz look Paris over.
Landed at Divisional Headquarters
Of Y. M. G. A. April 18th, and was
assigned to one of three towns near
est our lines. But the fight of April
goth, started by the Boche, changed
my plans, even though / was packed,
even to gas mask and Stetson steel.
Very inconsiderate of Fritz. But ]
got few kilos farther back and have
been at the tent of this very busy
interesting point since April 23rd,
where we have a French tent about
100x30, with reading, writing, loug-
ing, music room all combined. The
canteen the most important thing, at
one end. This canteen end comprises
an enclosed counter and holds all our
stock, often 10000 to $4,000 francs,
and 81 cur bed room and living quar-
tiers, rats included as bunk mates. We
do 1000 to $500 francs Of business
each day besides sending hundreds of
francs home for the boys, furnishing
writing materials, entertainment lee
lures, religious meetings, and an
swering a million questions each
week, cashing money orders, checks
and patching broken paper money,
remitting canteen money and money
orders.
Had a great day here Decoration
Day a wonderfully impressive service
in the little cemetery here where a
few Of our boys are resting. l shall
tell the folks all about that day when
l get home.
Then / ha da trip to the Hut to
which / was originally assigned and
spent two days there. Had fine
look at Fritz's lines an da big forti-
fed Hill he holds here, and No Mans
Land through an observers glasses.
Was in the biggest barrage we ever
put over yet, So minutes, some noise
Lay awake it began then got up at
3:45 and made IL gallons of choco-
late for our lads as they came in
from the trenches.
That afternoon another Secretary
and I, with three trench runners,
took five bags of canteen goods to
our boys in the woods. Spent nearly
three hours in the trenches, walking
about five or six miles through what
is now our first line here, and saw
sights.
I saw the fight, at least the air.
craft shots, at the Boche, who
brought down our great American
Ace, Lufbery.
There are only two of.us here and
often we have a continuous snake of
men reaching from the canteen out
to the street, several hours straight.
MY best wishes and warmest re-
CARDS to all the good friends there.
Tell them all to write.
Yours