The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-08-29
SOLDIER BOYS LETTERS


weeks but have heard rumors about
peace conferences, great Italian
victory on the Piave, something about
Edison, and new death dealing gas
all of which sounds good to me.
Yours,
Howard"
France, July 20, 1913.
"Dear Mother and Father:
sWell here we all are in dear old
France, about ten miles back of the
firing line.
eve left England about three weeks
ago, and have been on the road ever
since. We stopped in four or five rest
camps in both England and France.
France is just wonderful and every
thing is grand, and really America is
ruling every thing.
"The country is beautiful, but the
roads are very slow. We crossed the
channel one night without convoy and
landed in Northern France the follow
ing morning. We were then put on
freight cars and started on our
journey through one of the most beau
tiful countries in the world. Of course
we cannot talk to them unless they un-
derstand English, and their money is
strange to US but every thing is SO
neat and beautiful, and all the people
are so jolly and happy.
eve landed at our present camp late
yesterday, it is over five miles from a
town, and on large hill, on one side
is great plain used for landing pur-
poses, but all houses, hangers and
shops are among natural wood, and
as they are all painted green and gray,
they are not seen from above. The
sergeants hut is just about 20 feet
from headquarters, but so thick is the
woods that we cannot see it.
"Have now everything to make a
mans fighting equipment complete,
arms, gas helmets, steel hats, and all
the rest of those things. We are still
in the Aviation, of course, and are not
right on the firing line but near, and
are capable just the same of putting
up scrap if we have to.
Am feeling fine, eat and sleep the
best, and really enjoy France and
must say that war is not half bad,
although we are on the move most of
the time. Must close for this time.
Write soon and give my love to all
friends, Lovingly,
Van"
Sgt. 1, VIM. H. Van Camp,
50th Aero, Squdn. A. E F.
A. P. O. 7O3 France.
Here is letter from Ben Jung:
Camp Grant, Ill, Aug. IS, 1918.
"Dear Sister:
l received your letter just now and
was very glad to hear from you.
"Well, we are still here but I think
we will leave the beginning of the
week for New York. We will probably
be there for two weeks or so then /
don't know where we will go; some
say to France, some say to Siberia and
some say to the Philippines but no one
knows.
"We got everything loaded in tn
train for four days. Well, it can't be
too soon for me. We will see a lot
of country from here to New York.
"We got all our equipment, even
overcoats, they are certainly nice,
there are no civilians allowed in camp
today. The camp is closed up till af-
ter we leave. You ought to have seen
all the people here yesterday. There
were almost as many civilians as sold
iers and of all the bawling that was
going on. 1t was some sight.
we get examined almost every day.
Quite LOT Of the boys did not pass,
they feel pretty blue about it.
81 had a chance to be bugler, but
/ don't think / will take it, / want to
fight, not play. Claude Gilbertson got
into the band, that is no snap, one
always has to be there. They go out
every night and play until 9 o'clock
and we are off duty right after supper.
They even have to stay here on Sun
days. When / came back from over
here | can say I was a machine gum
ner. That will mean more than a
musician.
"Our captain, one lieutenant and
three sergeants are on the way getting
everything ready.
"The 341st Infantry left today. Last
Sunday the labor battalion left. They
were all negroes, 1900 of them. It
looked nice to see them march.
i suppose the boys are getting