Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-25
C. ROSENTHAL
FROM OVER There
DecOrah Boy, Son of +. j. RosenthaI.
Writes Another Interesting
Letter From France
TELLS ABOUT COUNTRY
BEING SHOT UP
Took Possession of Some German
Trenches Which We're Fixed Up
in Fine Style
Somewhere in France
Nov. %, 1918

| Somewhere in France
Nov %. 1918
Dear Mother and All
What greater thing to be so far
from home and receive a letter from
mother. That last letter sure was
dandy and when | get back l think
will be able to recite it by heart.
You sure. made me want to get home
when You wrote all about the good
things that are coming in at home.
know there is lots Of work, there,
but | sure would do my share and
more too if could be with you.- |
received the gum, pills and the clip
pings from the paper. When read
that letter of mine and compared
what saw When | wrote it with
what / see now days there sure is
some difference When we first
landed we had not seen any of the
country that was under shell fire.
Now all We see is the ruins of towns
and rubbish left by the advancing
troops was on trip last Tuesday
land We went through some towns
that one couldn't see as much as
rock that hadn't been blown to
pieces. / never in my life could be-
lieve that guns could do what they
have done here. When you see what
'once was thick forest and NOW
nothing but stumps you can imagine
how thick the shells must have been
falling We Passed the cid YsFdNRn-
front and saw the trenches, dugouts,
etc. The Dutch sure did have things
Fixed up pretty nice and By the looks
of things they intended TO stay for
ever.
The place we are now in was oe-
scupied by the Germans and they left
iIots of things. In one room We have
"a large fireplace, besides. a stove, s.
are very comfortable. We found lots
of beds made by the Germans and
they are sure nice TO sleep in after
sleeping on old mother earth for
while On the wall over my bed IS
written 'Schones Bett," and I'll say
lit is. It is made from limbs from a
tree with wire spring. At the bend
the wire is raised up for pillow.
have tick filled with straw, so it
sure is great. wish we could stay
here until We leave for home. About
three.fourths of a mile from here
we found a shower bath house with
large steam boiler for heating the
water We all had chance to get a
bath and it was the first one in
about six weeks.
| As yet haven't seen cousin Carl
or anyone from home. pass hund-
reds of boys every day, but never
/ see a face know: We might be with
in walking distance of each other
and still not know it. We cannot
write and tell where we are so OF
course 1t would be just by luck if we
should meet. / get letters all the
time from aunt Pauline, but don't,
think will be able to see her. We
have to be here for four months be-
fore we get any passes and by that
time I'll be at home or at least or
my way.
| The other day we hauled some
hospital goods and there was one
| box open so began to inspect it. IL
was marked Council Bluffs and
found bunch of linen napkins
stamped RED Cross Unit X" Council
Bluffs, Iowa. Well thought that
would be a good souvenir so | stuck
it in my pocket. They can't tell me
THAT Iowa stuff isn't over in France,
because can prove it.
We have great times salyaging, or
in other words stealing things We
haul. I got five pairs of dandy felt.
slippers out of it so feel pretty
comfortable when take my hob
nails off and get into those. One boy
came in today with sack OF flour,
I15O pounds. so that means pancakes
for breakfast and fried cakes for
supper. We don't get very much
flour issued to us so if we can sal
wage anything when we are here u
means extra eats FOR all Anything
around here is salvage il you have
not got hold o. II. II you are out
with truck and break down YOU
lhaye to stay With it until some one
comes along to pull yop in. If you
I Ca, iiraarcd On Inst nara -----