Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-05-23
OUR BOYS
our C0UNTRY'S SERVICE

HalneS is WaterVllle boy anu GIL
listed when he was Is years of age.
France, April II. 1918.
Dear Robert:
Guess you think that l have for
gotten how to write but let me in
form you that l have not. The tact
Is we have been on the road so much
lately that sometimes we have hard
times in getting paper and en-
velopes. OF course we could carry
such articles on our back but that
makes an extra load and believe me
we have enough to carry as it is on
q long hike.
How is the weather over there now,
must be getting warmer. we are
having nice warm weather over here
now so that fellow can run around
in his shirt sleeves. And muddy now.
why it is so muddy that fellow
could dig ditch forty feet deep
anywhere on the level without break
ing into the hard earth.
Well, we have been in a rest camp
had rather be in the front line for
there is something doing there once
in awhile. ] have gotten SO | kind OF
like it. OF course at times l get
Blamed scared" and the earth and
touch each other pretty sudden
sometimes when machine gun bullets
or shells come too close to be COM
Portable but after all it isn't too bad.
heard about Clifton's enlisting in
the navy, good for him. He is a
through and through sport.
Wish you could be over here and
see some of the things l have seen.
Some of them are very historical. 1
have seen castles built by Caesar and
have travelled over roads built by
him. l saw a crucifix carved in 1920.
| have seen villages so torn up that
only crumbling walls are stanting.
You know when a fellow is passing
through these towns and stops to
think of the history of some of these
torn villages, of the happy families
who lived there before the war, per-
haps completely wiped out by the
screeching shells or moved down by
the machine gun bullets coming like
hail, oh Bob, there is funny sensa-
ton around a fellows heart and a
lump comes into his throat his eyes
grow watery for a moment and then
he grinds his teeth, grips his rifle I'M
til his muscles in his arms stand out
solid and he curses the Hun in his
heart. Oh boy. war is hell. | would
rather give my life in the cruelest,
most barbarous way possible than to
see the Boche get into The Y. S.
We have a bunch of drafted men
here and say it is as good as circus
to listen to the question they ask.
We were only four miles from the
front line and one fellow had the
nerve to ask if we were in the war
zone. ! could have hit him but see
also he was little larger than | am.
Do YOU see the folks over home
very often. Mother has written to me
about the decorations in her front
window perhaps YOU have not no.
ticed them, but think they must look
! fairly decent
| How is your father and mother also
the grammies. Tell your father that
| wish him good luck in his planting
this spring. | would like to be there
to help him. Tell your mother tat |
dreamed the other night that l was
eating one of her strawberry short
cakes. l will write to her soon.
Well, Bob. I have been in the serv-
ice a year now. 1t has made more of
man of me than perhaps | would
have been had / stayed at home.
can see the world in a different light
row and if thrown out into the world
alone could take care of myself bet
ter. A bare board is just as good as
a feather bed now.
l think we shall go over the top
sometime in the future and when
they do | want to be there with flying
colors. | wouldn't miss it for a for
tune. | am not brave or daring but
it is the thought of the past wrecked
France and the possibility Of a man
acled America. If I by luck come
out. all right, if without a scratch or
even with a wound, tres bien.
Well, Bob, 1 have given you a little
Of my impressions of the war. 7
haven't been in much of it but little
knowledge and experience enliyhtens
me somewhat. l must close now hon
! ing that you and all the folks are well
and prospecting, also happy.
l remain Your true friend. with
love, JASPER l.. HAINES.
90. II. 1O3d I. S. Inf, A. +. F,
Mrs. George Worthing Of Palermo
recently received the following letter
from her son, Chester Worthinp.
Somewhere in France.
April II, 1918.
Dear Mother:
We have arrived here in camp all
safe and expect to start in training
by Monday. I was somewhat tired
put the experience and the sights T
saw We're worth a good deal to me
everything so different from home.
Inc weather here is warm. and We
all lay around on the grass in our
Shlrt sleeves. The crops are all up
and the trees are all in blossom and
everything looks beautiful but no
place looks as good to me as the T.. &
We don't see many autos here as
gasoline is s1.20 per gallon. Most OF
the people ride on bicycles or in two
wheel carts. When they drive a pair
OF horses one man rides on one OF
the horses back. while one man on
the wagon tends the break. Every
day we see lots of funny things.
everything is so different than in our