The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-05-09
BATTALION GAS OFFICER MUST BE
ACTIVE MENTAL Y and PHYSICALLY

Lieutenant Ernest McLain on Mar
18th. in France. wrote perhaps the
! most interesting and instructive let
er yet received from him by his par
ents. Mr.. and Mrs A. II. McLain.
Snce this letter was written Lieut..
actual fighting because he is attached
TO one of the first regiments that was
sent to France
Lieut. McLain was sent 10 France
to gain actusl warfare lessons with
the end in view OF detailing him as
an instructor in one of the canton
ments. He undoubtedly proved to be
valuable fighting man for he has
been retained with Pershing's first
fighting division for actual duties at
the front
/ Battalion Headquarters,
March 4. 1915
My Loving Folks:
arrived in Liverpool on the 5th
day of October last. from there pro-
ceeded to a port in France. staying
there two daysI then went from there
to school conducted by French and
English instructors, but under Amer
ican supervision Remaining in the
school for four weeks and being in
structed in every branch of modern
warfare, at the end Of that period
was Unexpectedly ordered 10 duty
with the first division. and have been
constantly on duty ever since
The First Division was stationed
in one of the coldest and nastiest
parts of France. My schooling was
fine and absorbed great deal in
my inexperienced brain, but when
joining the troops I even felt like
rocky in his first uniform was
well up on the new methods but had
not seen things put into actual oper-
alton, and had absolutely no expert
ence in handling men and giving com
mands
But the school Of experience is the
best and only school, and by keeping
my mouth shut. obeying orders TO the
beet Of my strength and ability, and
profiting by my mistakes. managed
to got the run Of things. make friends
and enjoy IT,
At first We worked SO hard and
was 30 green. that sometimes was
discouraged. but when began to think
sc q r,,,;eax~ x-.x- ,r1 Lea tho
rules of the game. the clouds disap-
peared and every day. was pleasure
in its own way. by what ! mean. ]
was finally broken in
We have worked from daylight till
dark. and many nights all night long
and no man who had weak oonsti-
tuition has been able to stand it. But
it made men out OF US all. and the
First Division is a wonderful unit. it
is the results OF tireless labor and
effort. and really stands head and
shoulders above any other unit
have ever seen.
II is terrible job TO take old sol
diers tthe 26th Infantry is a regular
army regiment that was with Per
shing in Mexico) ones who have been
schooled in the old methods OF war
fare. and make them believe that
this new warfare is best. also to
pound the new system into their heads
so Thoroughly that they will not for
get and thus make tho new methods
take precedence over the old learned
by years OF former schooling and ex-
perience. 1t was just like teaching
an Old dog new fricks. but il was done
The Reserve corp is gradually get
nng a grip on the First Division
have jus. come out OF a five
x~seixs' stay in the trenches. Our ca
sualties were small and the sector
fairly quiet. OF course we were con-
.inualIs exposed to shell fire. but that
happens on all fronts. BY quiet sec
tor. however. mean one where the
Germans are not continually lower
ing n barrage on and coming over
to say how do you do. OF course
when that has happened We have let
them come. kill or capture about one
half or two thirds of them and chase
the balance back home TO drink some
more beer
The Bosch lacks the energy. scrap
and bull dog tenacity that We have,