Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-23
MARINE CAN'T BRING
FRENCH GIRL HOME
Many Other Soldiers Compelled
to Leave Behind French
Sweethearts

Nothing doing on bringing your pretty
little French sweetheart home to mother in
the L. S. a.
At least so writes Private Lester Edel-
stein. nineteen years old, a member of Com
pany 5, Fifth Regiment of Marines.
He tells his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Louis
Edelstein. 1915 West Dauphin street, in a
Christmas letter that he met a French girl
the hour he landed on foreign soil and
would like very much, indeed, to bring her
along home.
But alas for the course OF true love Lots
of other Americans have French stweethearts
they would like to transform into American
wives and have asked their commanding
officers permission to bring the "mam'selles"
along home with their other trophies of the
war.
1t seems that Mars and Cupid have not yet
signed the arnistice, however. for permits
sion in each case has been refused. Z
The youthful marine wrote his father No
vember 90. He said he remembered IT was
Fathers Day" and he was not going to
forget dad" on that occasion. He was
wounded twice and once gassed and was
blind for five days from the effects of gas.
In his letter home he said Il am out OF
the hospital. but still have some OF that gas
in my system. That gas Is certainly danger
Gus stuff. 1t burns the stomach out OF you
When I got it l thought sure | was a goner.
The doctors told me | was brought TO the
hospital in tho nick Of time or / would have
now been a dead hero. | received my CroiX
de Guerre, and the marines who were at
Chateau-Thierry and stopped the Germans
from entering Paris are now wearing the
Legion of Honor on their arms. 1t Is the
highest insignia In the French army.
IL certainly did have many narrow es-
Capes, and II I had to go through It again
| would not give two cents for my life. |
did not worry about dying, as all my COM
radcs are now buried, and l did not bother
whether they got me or not. l did want 10
get twenty of the Germans before / fell. The
marines are clever men. The way they
cleaned up at CantIgny was great.
From June / to July 6 we were at Cha-
teau-Thierry and Beleau wood. March :
to May 10 found us at a Nerdun sector,
From July IS to % we were in the battle OF
the Marine. the battle that taught the Ger,
mans a lesson. The time from September y
to &c we spent in the big drive at 81
Mihiel. In this battle we freed about 1oOu
French people who had been living undet
Germany for four years. On october u we
made another big drive at champagne al
which | was gassed.
Next we went to Argonne in Nerdun. and
our brigade was there when the news of the
signing of the armistice reached us. Inc
wounds | received came in the battle oil
Scissors. They are now nearly all healed w
and ] am anxious for more. we heard no.
many hours ago that we are going nome II
eight DAYS. hope l may be home toi
Christmas. More bad news. The major mas
told US that we are going to join our com
pany in luxembourg and follow them tC
| Germany.
Il was in Paris for over a month. Tina
place Is certainly some city. / went thert
with 400 francs $500 and | had a grea'
time. They sent us to Paris to get our nerves
settled after thirty-four days or hghting
Some place to get your nerves fixed all right
The first day was there airplanes were
dropping bombs all about u.s..