The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-08-09

haven't lost any bones or flesh so
don't think I'm all shot to peices,
and be sure and stick close to home
and keep mother from worrying
about me, because | know what
worry does. Well be away from the
front good long time now and don't
think I'll be right back into it be-
cause our OUTFIT has done their share
for while anyway, so we will get
to visit for while unless they need
very good outfit and if the one
fighting are losing ground, then of
course they will call on us, but don't
think it likely.
Well / guess ,nis is about enough
for this time.
A. ever,
Corp. Albert F. Mcdonald, Co. G.
End Engineers Corps, A. E. F.,
| France.
---e following letter is from Lane
Shelman of Springfield, who has
been in France for nine months:
On active service with the A. e. F.
/. June q, 1918.
Dear folks at home:
Will try and drop you few lines.
Have not heard from you for three
weeks. l have been moved into q
different outfit, have been here two
weeks.
I just came out of the trenches
this morning. Spent four days up
there and got away alive, had several
close calls as l was exposed a lot of
times. ! was company runner. I
was slightly wounded, small piece
of shrapnell went thru my Gambler
and stuck in my back, but only
enought to smart little and make
a knot on my ribs. l was carrying
a message across an open wheat field
and Lightweight burst d close
over my head and pushed me into
the dirt and then tried to cover me
up. When anybody gets brave
around home tell them to come over
and crawl under box barrage once.
He will probably have a different
opinion of himself.
We have practically open fighting
around here as you can tell. One
little burg changed hands six times
SO far and still we have it.
There is good bunch of old boys
in my same Co. SO have plenty Of
friends.
The marines kicked the stuffin
out of 700 the other night with only
small loss. One marine brought
in seventy-three prisoners alone.
talked with him this morning. They
just gave themselves up. think
they would all be glad to come over
and surrender II they could. I look
for things to take turn shortly. I
saw two planes 60 down. 1t sure
puts heart into the bunch to see
them get the worst of it.
The prisoners are disheartened,
starved looking bunch, mostly just
kids. 1t looks kind of bad when
they have to chain their machine
gunners to the guns to make them
fight. saw one Boche examined
and he said the Red Guards drove
them in at the point of the bayonet,
so things can't stand very long that
way. s.
feel fine and am standing it bet
ter than the average.
Tie boys don't retreat, they don't
nav" AioW ~ ehOy JuOI 81 dhCdu
stead. Good failing guess.
Well here's hoping that duck at
the right time and get back to tell
the tale. But to tell. the truth,
shrapnel is smally modified hell at
times. But you can imagine what
1t is lover there" when our artillery
shoots about six to their one.
counted twenty-five out of thirty Of
their shells that were no good, at
least they did not explode. At times
most all Of it that comes over is de-
fective and other times they are most !,
all good or rather bad.
Some sensation to hear an old
eight inch pillow up the sand in your
face and not explode, and believe me
1t is real one when one explodes
few feet away and covers one up
in dirt and II you are lucky not get
than one kicked dirt in my face this
trip.
Well it is chow time. A man sure
enjoys hot chow when he gets out
to rest.
suppose every thing is gong full
blast at home. expect we will
have plenty Of fire works the fourth,
suppose we will be back in then.
Well l will close for this time and
If come back next time | will write
a good long letter and tell you about
the fun If there IS anything happens.
ly address will be
Pvt. Lane Shelman, Co. M. 20 u.
S. Inf. A. E. F., France.