Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-29

MIS-. ElAE1peln u heltas OF LUCK
now. has received many interesting
letters from her son, Harry F.
Behm. Headquarters Company. 7sth
( Division. Somewhere in France"
( The young man, son of Mr.. and
( Mrs. William Behm, was employed
I by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany as q brakeman in the yards
Z before entering the service and was
3 we'll known baseball player and
most efficient pitcher. He was in
training at Camp Meade, leaving
for overseas service last July. Benin
Is now q WAGNER for his diNi-
sion.
IN 4 letter written October 10 ne
says in part: 1t does me good TO
get letters from home in this lone
some land. for while there are lots
I o. the boys around at times, when
night comes il IS really lonesome.
I have washed in shell
holes. slept in shell holes and dodg-
ed in she'll holes from shells, so
that I'm getting 10 just love shell!
holes. I'll try 10 tell you
som ething about our life over here.
Sleep Where Fortune Directs
We sleep any place we happen
10 stop, barbs. manure piles, shell
holes. dugouts. trenches. shelled
towns, piles OF wood, any place at
all The villages are
/ built OF thick stone, old houses such
as one sees in the movies and any
where near the front the towns are
all blown TO pieces. Some were so
heavily shelled by gunfire and bombs
that there wasn't even piece of
roof left on single house. When
We started our first drive. for miles
and miles the Smelling was so heavy
that after We drove the Huns back.
the shell holes were so thick that
one edge of a hole touched the next
hole. You can see for yourself
this is no place for = delicate per-
son when the shells start TO whue-
e-e-e and then throw the shrapnel
and gas around rs. Right here is
where the Yanks set good and mad,
mad clear through.
Watches Shells Burst
The first shell fire I was in il
/ frightened me some and I crawled
in a hole and watched them burst
+. ing around me and l surely thought
OF all you folks at home, especially
mother. Then my nerve came back
and I felt I would like to go right
on TO Berlin without stopping, and
now I don't mind them as much.
As 10 the weather there
is rain most all the time. I have
seen about half OF France and If l
stay much longer viii see the rest
and part of Germany, l suppose.
But I have seen enough and we are
all ready TO come home as soon as
the dove o. peace flies over the land.
I have seen some sights
here that / will never forget as long
as live, even though I'd be 4 thou
sand years old. For there has been
lots OF bloodshed. and I'm glad I
have good, strong nerves so that I
can stand any ordeal. 1 have seen
some OF our boys under shell fire
but a few hours and taken back
wrecks from shell shock.
Promises Boche Helmets
y am sending YOU a souvenir OF
France and will later send a Boche
helmet so YOU can hang it with the
service flag you have FOR me. in
the window. Go 10 all the lectures
you can. for all the stories you hear
about life here are all too true-this
way you will know what is really go
ing on over here I enclose
a coupon for which you can send
me q little Christmas gift. 7 will
be glad for anything but really
would like another wrist watch for
mine is on the bum. Whatever you
send I will appreciate you may be
sure Mother Dear I am sending
you a clipping Of a poem I ran
across in newspaper which l
thought nice and very true and my
sentiments TO the word, especially
these:
We fight for every mother as she
sings
Her babe to sleep upon her throb-
bing breast;
We battle for the womanhood OF
Earth
For Liberty, for Honor and for
Right;
Be proud. o Mother dear that you
gave birth
To one who lived to enter such a
fight
This leaves me we'll with the
hope OF a speedy return home.
Your son.
HARRY F. BENIN"