The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1918-06-20

1t and nope TO come nome solne
sweet day. Your lo ynas son n2raenoan
Co F, 315 Engineers.
Somewhere in France.
April 26, 1918.
Dear Father: No doubt you were
greatly surprised in receiving my
overseas card after the great lapse
of time when you visited me in Camp
Dodge. The week following your
visit l was transferred to the present
company and in short time were
ordered to move but delayed on ac-
count of suitable coaches: Previous
orally confined to barracks for two
or three days. Although the move
looked more sure for us on the last
occasion than any of the others
countermanded on short notlce-tne
majority of us had our doubts until
the cars actually appeared on the
Camp Dodge tracks. After we once
started il seemed no time until we
We're in France.
The voyage across sea passed on
without incident, either storms or
submarines. / enjoyed the entire
trip without being the least bit sea-
sick eating three squares every day,
unless L was too late-.only twice
to be served. Many, OF the boys were
the smell of the mess hall especial
ly those days the ship rolled slight
ly from a swelling sea. When our
escort arrived most of them tried
the ships mess and after land came
in sight they all regained their nor
halls peculiar odor. On board !
found a former Humeston boy and
two others of college days. Every
day we had abandon ship drill at
least once and in the war zone slept
with all clothing and life preservers
on as best we could until alarm at
dawn. The most unpleasant things
of the boat and being chased from
one part to another by the guards.
We certainly were glad to be put on
land even if we were rushed at
sharp pace to nearby camp where
we could stand or walk around
without any disturbance from. sent
inels. This camp has great historic
this is where a great French mill
tarist received his training. But
one could tell by the high enclosing
stone wall repaired many times, the
macadam parade ground with the
low OF thick walled and large flat
rounded by large paving stone gut,
nurses quarters and headquarters
within separate stone wall enclos
ures Upon the right, the guard
room and cell house near the gate
opposite the barracks and large
lawn upon the left with trees scat
was constructed some few hundred
years ago. However, We came far
from receiving what was intended
a rest. 1t was necessary to sleep. in
hunks with only blanket. and a
shel.er-half over Stats the width, OF
lath and spaced about four inches
apart after the officers refused us
the use of the mattresses there on
account of being infested with lice;
and eat our mess wherever suit
able spot could be found under the
canopy of heaven whether sunshine
or rain: also wash and shave in cold
water, an Improvement over the cold
salt water of the boat
At night we had to go to the Y.
N. c. A. if we wished to read or
write for this is the only building
Of enlisted men that had lights.
This organization rot only does this
service for the boys but also furnish
IS an entertainment every evening.
Although room is crowded to. its ut
seems to me that some boys do no.
appreciate these programs secured
by the secretary at the expense of
great diligence by their persistent
restlessness and disrespectful re-
marks, in fact they are. worse than
so many children and show little OF
army discipline; but it takes all
yinds of people to make a crowd as
we'll as a world. l found all of the
offerings very interesting, among
which was lecture by a man en-
aged in foreign Y M. c. a. work,
an orchestra of French soldiers re-
turned from the front to be held as
reservists, a, few stunts by the boys
n camp and a very interesting talk
by an American army sergeant in
he infantry about his two years OF
service in the trenches with the Brit
ssh army learning how to meet the
Huns warfare tactics and no doubt
IS proving valuable in training of our
boys.
At first sight of the city where we
landed with its many buildings of
white stone and red or black roofs.
gave me the impression of cleanli-
ness and great pride, but received a
great surprise after the boat dock
ed from the ill-dressed men and
dirty children on the quay. And
streets paved with rough stone and
cutters filled with garbage and dis
covered that the buildings of white
stone were only coated with a gray |
ish white cement plaster. my sur
prise was still greater. All buildings
are of thick walls with deep set |
tile or black slate roofs and the
large chimney of our home fireplace |
capped by anywhere from one to six
tapering tile. The stores resemble |
the American second hand shops
except in the case of a very few that