Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-26
MUST TAKE HATS
OFF TO YANkS
Former Harrisburg Youth
Tells of American Fight
ing Spirit

The world must take its hat on
to the Yankee" writes Sergeant
George Krause Erb, a former Bel
Telephone employe in this city. HE
sure is one of the bravest when II
comes to fighting, as Fritz is willing
to testify" he adds.
Sergeant Erb is now serving with
Company D. 406th Telegraph Battal-
ion, United States Signal Corps, re-
cruited entirely from employees of the
Bell Telephone Company. He receiv-
ed his training at New Jersey and
was among the first troops to reach
France, arriving there last August.
Sergeant Erb lived at the Maple
Grove Hotel, Sixth and Maclay streets
while in Harrisburg. His home is at
Lebanon.
He is having an interesting time in
France. Several of his recent letters
are appended.
Extract from letter July 80:
Il never for a moment thought 1
would have the opportunity to wit
ness the sights I have in the past few
weeks. AS you have no doubt read in
the papers, we have the Hun on the
run. and l sincerely hope that we run
him to death. l have had the oppor-
tunity to follow pretty close in the
wake of the departing Hun. Some of
the towns l have been in a few hours
after Fritz departed. Another time
had the opportunity to watch our boys
take a town from the enemy. l wish
1 could describe to you the things one
sees as he follows the retreating Hun.
l have seen whole towns utterly de-
molished and not single house left
standing. In fact, the ruins hardly
resembled houses at all, but looked
as if some gigantic cart had deposit
ed a number of piles of stone and
rubbish. Woods utterly shot to
pieces with only the bare and SCARED
stumps of trees left standing. Every
where one sees evidence of the
enemy's hasty retreat. Ammunition
of all kinds, hand grenades, all sorts
of German clothing, boots and equip
ment are scattered everywhere. Talk
about German helmets. they are about
the commonest thing one sees these
days, and I only wish l could send
several home to you. but it is not pos
sible since an order forbids II. The
fields and roads are dotted with she'll
holes and the craters of airplane
bombs, while some of the fields look
as if the ground had been churned
with a great paddle, but the papers
and magazines can tell you about
these things better than l can. Be-
lieve me. l wouldn't miss this for any
that the world must take off its hat
to the Yankee, for he sure is one of
the bravest when it comes to fighting,
as Fritz is quite willing to testify.
Extract from letter July 21:
mo doubt about this time all you
people over there are as elated and
excited as we are, over the happen
ings of the past few days. Everybody
is treading on air, for at last we are
showing the Kaiser that the American
Army. instead of being a myth, is the
real thing indeed, and oh what a
pleasure it is to hand it to him in a
real two-fsted way. I can't begin to
tell you how brave our boys have
been and what they have done. Every
body is working as hard and as fast
as they can and nobody seems to care
how hard or how long they work. A
bunch of us just quit hauling ammu-
milton and supplies. We hauled Tor
two days and nights without a wink
one minded 1t, and we all were de-
lighted as long as we could peddle a
little hardware for the batteries to
hand Fritz. No doubt we would be
still driving II they hadn't decided to
give us a little rest: oh. IT is won
derful 1t is just like a big hunt.
and you drive, drive. drive and as
each victory becomes known you grin,
and looking ever ahead. push on TO the
next goal. We can't be stopped!
ct have had my share of shell fire
and air raids lately, but have become
quite used to them now. The more
see of this game the better I like 1T,
and with things going the way they
are. the game can't be beat. 1t is
Just like a good old game of football
when you have the other team on the
run. You Just UP and smash and
push them all over the field. Well
we don't have much time to write. SC
will cut this real short. l know this
is not a very long and interesting let
ter. but Just now we are doing things
Later on we will write about them
Don't worry about me. for I am o. X
and enjoying myself immensely.
Extract from letter June II:
yesterday took communion at the
"Y" hut. 1t was the first communion
I have taken since I have been in
France. for il was my first opportu-
nifty. "Cheese" (my dog) who has
been my inseparable companion since
have returned from the hospital
went with me. He took the chair be-
side me and very solemnly squatted
or his launches throughout the SER
vice. It's funny, but since I have re-
turned from the hospital. I cannot
shake the little beggar and he is con
stantly on my heels. As l write this
he is sleeping all curled up in my
lap"