The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-10-24
/ LettersfrOm and About Soldiers


I'm the last big drive, writes Fred
A. Thomson. member OF regiment of
artillery in France 10 his parents. Mr.
and Mrs j. 2. Thomson, among the
captured were 80 German women who
We're operating machine guns, so you
see they are up against 1t when women
have to help ight Our infantry also
got several French girls that the enemy
had captured and had in their dugouts.
They say the girls threw their arms
around the doughboys and sure eX-
pressed their JOY at being freed.
81 suppose you are Informed Of the
big numbers we have captured. Our
batteries did great work as we have
been able to Judge after moving up and
seeing some OF our execution. | have
/ been up to the old line after the first of
our men went over and the Germans
We're captured or had abandoned their
positions. 1t was certainly interesting.
was certainly tickled to get in this
drive Our regiment did not lose a
man. The sQuareheads We're caught so
/ by surprise that they didn't get much
of chance to lire.
Another son Of MIR. and Mrs. Thom-
sen, Pvt. Carl A. Thomson, is with the
/ ll7th Engineers, a part Of the And ID
vision In a letter to his sister, Miss
/ Clara Thomson, he writes Interestingly
of the part this division has played IN
offensive work. Mr.. Thomson enclosed
in his letter an official note written to
all men and officers of the 42nd DVi-
sion. A part Of the letter follows
IA year has elapsed since the forma-
tion Of your division. 1t is therefore
fitting to consider what you have ac-
compished as a combat division and
what you should prepare to accomplish
I'M the future
Your first elements entered the
trenches in Lorraine on February 2lst.
You served on that front for ll0 days.
You were WthraWn from Lorraine and
moved Immediately to the Champagne
front where. during the critical days
between July II and Is. you had the
honor of being the only American divi-
sion to fight in Gen. Gouraud army
which SO gIoriousiy obeyed his order.
We shall stand or die. and by It's iron
defense crushed the German assau.
and made possible the offensive Of july
Is to the west If Rheims.
According to the letter this division
went from Champagne to Chalons where
they faced picked German troops,
which they successfully attacked fol
eight successive days. They forced the
crossing Of the Oureq and later partic
pated in the advance to the Nesle.
The letter continues
From your services in Lorraine
] your division was formally COMMENDED
i'm General Orders by the French army
| corps under which you served. Fol
/ your service in Champagne, your assem-
/ bled officers received the persona
/ thanks and commendation Of Gen
/ Gouraud himself For your services
Il on the Ourcq, your division was off
| cialIy complmented from the com
4 maudng general, lst Army Corps.
/ However, our position places a bur
Il den of responsibility upon US wbch W.
/ must strive to bear steadily f0rWarl
Il without falterng. To our comrade
Il who have fallen we owe the sacred Oh
Il legation of maintaining the reputation
Il which they died to establish. The in
Il huence Of our performance on our al
Il lies cannot be ovetestlmated, for W
Y were one of the first divisions sen
= from our country to France to sho'
II the world that Americans can fight
II The letter was signed by Chas, !
II Menoher, Maj. Cen, u. I. Army.