Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-08-23
PRIV. JAMES GALBRAITH.
Ernm Otto Fields

Outside of France, June 16, 1918.
Dear Ma:
AS l have time again l thought ]
would get another letter on the road.
You will see l am on the move again,
and dodge around like a flea. We
move so often that we can't keep
track of the names of all the towns.
From the lodging around that we do
you will wonder how we ever get our
mail, but we get it anyway.
l am as well as ever and hope you
are the same. Well, it must be sum-
mer there once more by this time,
and by the time you get this they
will nave been celebrating the Fourth,
and so will we, only in a different
way.
There was big raid on the enc
my's trenches last night, and of all
the roaring of guns! One evening,
as we were going through where the
120th artillery is billeted, the band
was playing, and as we came along
the crowd opened ranks and we
passed through; while we were pass
ing through the band played THE
Star Spangled Banner" There was
such string of US that the band had
to play a lot of pieces before we all
got through. On our hikes We passed.
through some very beautiful country
with lots of flowing wells, and much
rough country also. At one town
where we were stationed one of the
boys was fooling with his rifle and
he shot two cows belonging to peas.
ant. One had to be killed and the
other was just shot through the bris
ket sideways; she is all right, but the
company had to pay for the dead one
so we are eating "cow" meat now
: but it is the most tender meat l eve
I ate. 1t seems that men will neve.
be careful with d gun. Yesterda,
there was military funeral for thre
soldiers. One was an American Il
| the 125th Infantry, who was hurt b.
shrapnel, and another was a French
man, and the other man was an Al
| gerian; all were soldiers.
| saw the American buried and j
was very nice ceremony. The ban
headed the procession and on the cas-
ket was the Stars and Stripe
| wrapped around.
| They had firing squad of eight me
| who shot four volleys over the grav
and then four of the band playe
| "God Be With You Till We Nee
Again" 1t was very nice, but sac
The French have a very nice cemt
terry out here for soldiers, and hav
it decorated nicely. There are thre
Americans buried there and quite
number of French and Algerians.
Just few evenings ago so of |
went swimming in reservoir a Ii
tie ways from here and we certain
had fine time. 1t is way over OF
heads and they have big long sprir
board, and my! how they do dive of
just like frogs, and the water al
banks lined up with "Yanks," and
our clothes all look alike we have
hunt around to be sure which is our
Some of the French soldiers can
down to watch US swim. For a viii
we forgot there was war, until V
down the road.
Well, Ma, l must close for tn
time, and with love, l remain, as eve
Your son
OTTO.
Later
. 1t seemed good and yet so que
. TO get papers from our town and re
of different ones and especially of o
neighbors. There certainly were a
of folks that bought Liberty Bonc
see McNally's and Albert Behn
bought some. 1t seems queer l am
far away, sitting in the woods,
l like it better than the "hubbub"
the city.
- I see Steve Otis did go; he a
. young Brown must be in the medic
department, being along with D
High. l see Henry Bowers has a NJ
Ford; he is coming along pretty go,
Ill l suppose prices are about the sal
on produce as ever. "Over here" eg