Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-07-01


graduate of L.itchfield Academy:
April 9, 1915
Members Of the Silent Partners Knit
ting Club:
Your most welcome letter of March 8
received today and | can heartily assure
each and every one of YOU | was indeed
very glad to hear from YOU. Ever since
my graduation l have held a great
interest in the welfare of L. A. and its
work AS l know you all are specially
interested in the boys who are i'll service
and former members of l.. A, il is with
a sincere heart that | am writing YOU
this letter to show you my deep appre-
citation for the spirit in which YOU sent
me those few words of encoura cement.
l have been over here some tme-yes it
seems like several years. During this
time l have received many interesting
letters from my former sChoomates.
teachers and friends. Letters are far
more acceptable to me than anything
else, SO if any of YOU care to write me
a letter in person or through the club
please do it. as a few words from my
NO.
Now Just word or two Of my expert
ence over here" | have been in the
trenches twice now and by the time this
letter reaches YOU ! will do another
"hitch. Our first trip in was of an
uneventful nature. nothing of interest
or anything exciting coming to pass.
But our secont. trip was surely one Of
were in gas attacks artillery fire, ma
chine gun and trench mortar bonn I'd
ments. The gas attack was the worst
on that front for is months. 50 you see
it's not all sunshine in the trenches.
Iut l had rather be in the front line
trenches than in the support or reserve
trenches. For in the two la tier ones
YOU are subject to more or less tusually
more) artillery fire so it's hard lodging
them. Although they can be heard
coming through the air for about half
of a moment before they land, YOU have
to learn by the sound where they are
going to land. But YOU can bet We
learn very quickly and act accordingly
All the raids and fighting are done at
night so YOU see that is when we have
to be on the alert every second. During
the day we steal a little sleep in our
dugouts as there is very little doing
that part Of the day In these dugouts
which vary in size, are wooden hunks
for beds. Some of these dueouts hold
squad G) men, others platoon (t0-60)
men. while others are large enough to
hold a company or two. There are Il
few that will hold a batta lion and even
a regiment. In these are electric lights
that are run by small dynamo In
walks called duck boards. This pre-
vents YOU from getting YOUR shoes
muddy. hence keeping your feet dry and
warm. Where there are trenches of a
real muddy nature we have rubber
boots which OF course keeps our feet
dry, without the aid OF the duck boa rds.
Along the side of the trenches there are
telephone lines which connect all the
officers posts. Our sleeping quarters
are down in the earth under crounl
sometimes a hundred feet We have
wooden hunks with straw in them TO
sleep on. AS YOU lay there and are
about to go to sleep YOU find there are
Others in that bunk beside YOU. You
can't see them but there they are-ves
and then some. We call them
"cucjoos." Anyway they can make YOU
say cuckoo and don't YOU forget it. So
far have only found one and he pa asset
away as soon as my eyes fell on him.
There is hardly an inch of ground
fI-s mil Of
has been hit with a shell. Therefore
it's all mellow and when it rains it's
terrible walking and so slippery it's
practically impossible to stand up. 1t
usually rains "rlx days out of FIVE
mere so you see that term, sunny
France Is rather out of the question
in our minds. ] am still enjoying the
very best of health and you can just
bet intend to for sometime to come 7
think I am the only one of the L. A
boys who has already seen active
service SO / feel highly honored 10 be
the first. J presume those who are now
at aver Will soon be "over here" | will
try and look them up as l surely would
be glad to see them. There are hun
dreds Of things | haven't written YOU
yet but il would be Impossible to tell
YOU AL of my experiences SO please le.
this answer for this time. Well as
chow is ready and my stomach is
marking tine" for something to eat
will bring this letter to close. Hoping
this meets with a favor and proves a
biz interesting 10 you remain
Respectfully yours.
Corp'l Maurice Alden.
Co. l., l0l. Regt Infy..
A. z. r. Via y.