The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-11-06

write to more people but we can't find
time or material over here. Gee, I'D
like to get held Of piece Of your
homemade pie once more: You can
not get anything here at all. | guess
about everyone from home is in the
er received any of those Banners yet
and I'd like to get hold of them too.
You ask if we have nice quarters.
Yes, if you call it such. We haven't
any palace but nice big cobwebby,
dusty and dirty old shack of barn
and million fleas and coolies for
companions. Oh, it's a fine place.
Well, / must ring off. Will try and
write oftener. Don't you stop as
that is. the only way | get the news.
Tell dad / got his letter today also.
Write soon. Your loving son,
Sgt. G. S. Menkee,
Headquarters bet, 5 ANN. Train.
Also the following to his sister:
Dear Helen:
Well | must drop you a few lines
or / know | will offend your dignity
and if | don't you might stop writing
me which Of course l know you won't
do. / have been pretty busy you
may know but will try and write you
oftener. Glad to know your opera
ton was so successful and that you
are we'll again. haven't any horse
now but motorcycle that keeps me
busy. Are you going to study
French? / don't know any of it as
l never get a chance to learn the
blooming stuff. got a letter from
Kenneth the other day but he was still
at San Antonio then. You must be
getting to be a pretty big girl and
| suppose won't be able to boss you
like l used to, Ell? You talk about
the aviation. l saw a German ace
fly up to an observation balloon and
shoot it full of holes. setting"it on
fire then come TO another about a
block away from me and 200 feet in
the air and set that on fire and get
away again over the German lines.
The machine guns were shooting from
every bush around but never hit him.
The men in the balloons came down in
a parachute. 1t was all done before
we were aware of it. I'll send you
some souvenirs as soon as | can find
something l think you would like and
will write you a long letter next time
and which will be longer and more
news in it. So excuse me for this
time. Yours loving brother,
Sgt. George S. Menkee.
Rollin Donovan, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank Donovan, of Grattan,
writes the following letter telling of
life in the great theater of war. We
don't know but we rather think that
Rollins letter was written with blood
as it was written with a red colored
writing fluid and perhaps blood is
more plentiful than ink in France to-
day. His letter is as follows:
Sunday, Sept. 20, 1918.
Dear Mother:
/ will drop you line to let you
know | am alive and feeling fine. Il
have been playing ball all the after
noon; had fine time: it is the first
chance | have had to play since l was
in the army.
We had a nice supper tonight. We
had pork chops for the first time, po-
tatoes, onions, apple sauce, brown
gravy, bread and butter. IF / could
have that three times day l would
get fat. l only weigh 1875 lbs now.
| weighed 154 when i came in the
army. l think that is pretty good.
/ suppose you are all wondering
when the war will be over. Well,
you can have big turkey ready for
my Christmas dinner.
Il am sitting on the floor in build
ing about 200 years old writing by a
tallow candle. 1t is about $3.50 so /
will have to make it short; it takes
me about an hour to write letter.
/ moved my sleeping pace the other
day. am in better place than !
had
We have some funny weather over
here; it rains about half the time.
would like to know what everyone
is doing in the States about now.
have been working in the kitchen
helping the cooks l like it quite will.
There is some fine scenery around