Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-12-20

weather so far this fall. The days
are very pleasant Just little cool,
and the nights for good sleeping. I
only hope it stays this way until we
get started home, but it is not likely.
that it will, as it is now the last of
November.
l am sending you the picture of
the ship I came over on and also the
| Chateau in the town where we train
ed. 1t took us eleven days to come
across the pond. We sailed from
Brooklyn on July 10 and landed at
Brest on July 21st.
I have never seen any of the boys
from Highland except Eliza Rexrode
and John Kramer. I saw them at
our hospital and talked to John a
while, but I never finished the CONVEX
sation, as Fritz commenced Smelling
our hospital about that time so we
parted as I went to carry out pa
tients. We had to move the hospit-
al The shells killed several wound
ed men who were in the hospital.
Our company has only lost about
four men killed, but quite a few
have been sick and in the hospital.
So far l have never been sick a day,
and hope I wont be.
I haven't any idea when we will
start home, but think from now on
every trip we take will be toward
the States. I am like the boy who
was so anxious to come to France.
He said he was crazy to cross the
ocean so he got to France and after
he was here while he said he had
never changed his mind about COM
ing.
Well, I think I have told you all
of the news. will tell you the rest
when I get home.
Your soldier son,
Ebert Gum
France, Nov. %, 1913
Dearest Mother:
have not been up yet as they give
us little instruction on Spads, Sap
withs and Libertys here before we
go up with a new ship to the front.
| This is fine field, we are only about
forty minutes from Paris by truck or
train and they both run every hour.
We can go to town any time we
please and when we are not ferrying
ships we do not have anything at all
to do. I am afraid that will not last
very long for me as my rank will
probably force me into a job here or
some other place where I will have
to work. I am living easy now how
ever. I still have to sleep on my
army cot, and the mess is not very
good, but we have wonderful club
house, built by the widow of Cap
tain who was killed here. Dances
every Saturday night and best of all
a real shower bath with hot baths.
I am certainly going to clean up for
| the past and future. There are sew
eral fellows here that know and be-
ing near Paris makes it very nice.
They wont even let us fly
when we have a cold or if we have
been taking quinine, aspirine or any
medicine. We went back to the old
time on October 9Th over here in
France.
| I,think that about winds up your
letters, now for what I have been
doing. I was out at the field eight
doing my combat march when we
heard that the war was over. 1t did
not cause much excitement. as our
orders were to go on just as if moth
ing had happened so we got up next
morning and flew just the same. It
seemed useless to fly and for men
to be killed when the war was over.
I stayed over there until last Thurs
day, then came back to the main
| field, got pass and went to Lenoges
to get my new uniform (French
made, long tail, embroidied bars and
wings.) Came back and found or
ders for me to come here in charge
of seven other pilots. Arly is just
outside of Paris and is the big park
where ships are ferried to the front.
We can fly from here to the front in
about II hours plain straight flying
because stunts are forbidden with the
new ships we are to fly to the front.
1t ought to be very interesting here
as they send ships all over France
and it is great sport flying over
strange country and looking for
some small fields, so long as your
motor stays good. I hope to get up
to the front soon and fly around and
see part Of the German retreat. I
left Issondon Saturday and had Sat-
urday night, Sunday and Sunday
night in Paris. We spent most of
Saturday night looking for a place
to sleep and finally found a small
room up near the Latin Quarter.
The next day was the big celebra-
ton and it was wild time in Paris.
The French were crazy and also the