Graham guardian., 1918-11-22
FROM COVER THERE"
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE,
October 13. 1918

MRS. D. R. MCKINNEY,
Stafford. Arizona.
DEAR MOTHER:-It has been
several days since | wrote you
last and during that time | have
received a couple of letters from
you. Also received some papers
you sent.
The outfit | have been attached
to was ordered to move up north,
so us fellows working with the
r. T. o. have been pretty busy
hunting a new home. At last
we have secured squad tent
and are fixed up fine now. We
have built some hunks and put
in a wooden floor and even have
a dandy little stove that we sal
vaged.
We sure have some "bunga-
loo." especially the ''built-in"
features. Living in tent again
reminds me of old border days.
We are fixed up more comfort
able here than we were there.
We are in luck, for | think it is
going to be muy frio here this
winter.
We are having awfully dismal
weather now. 1t has been cloudy
and drizzling rain for the last
two or three days, but it doesn't
get very muddy at this place, so
it is not so bad. Will be glad to
see some real old Arizona SUM-
shine again.
| got a day off last week and
took a little jaunt toward the
front. Went over the old battle
field, where we started our big
drive on September 18th. saw
village after village that were
absolutely ruined. The houses
in this country are almost all built
of rock, with tile roofs, 80 try to
imagine what whole towns look
like when they have been lev
elled to. the ground by the big
guns. There is not enough left
of some of these towns to shelter
a rabbit.
/ saw in one of these villages
the new made graves of three
French aviators. On the new
black crosses was written: Mort
pour la France" died for France,
September 18th. 1t impressed
me. The sons who at last had
turned and driven the Huns from
the resting place of their fathers,
but in so doing had made it their
own. This country will be a
paradise for tourist for years to
come. | will sure spin some
yarns when l get home.
| The kaiser seems to be coming
round to Wilson's point of view,
slowly, but surely. Wilson is
sure some statesman and when
it comes to handling the English
language--he's there like a duck.
The kaiser will sure get all the
war he wants before we leave
here. We may as well give him
an overdose while we are at it.
AS some of the boys say: This
is the only war we've got, so
make the most of it..
1t is certainly one desolate
looking battlefield. The Germans
had held this sector since 1914
and from what they left behind,
they were intending to stay for
some time to come. | explored
the famous hill in which they
had built almost an underground
town. 1t was once covered by
grape vineyards and some of the
dead stumps of the vines can
still be seen.
This hill is literally pock- mark
ed with shell holes. Thousands
of high explosive shells have
blown great gaps in the ground
so that one has to wind his way
among them.
Up near the summit are the
are the entrances to FritZ's un-
derground homes. From on top
of the hill one can go down sew
eral stories by means of ladders.
had no light with me so could
not explore these rooms as much
as | wanted to.
When the Yanks captured this
hill, they found pianos and lots
of fine furniture in the dugouts
We have some of the pianos here
in the salvage dump, along with
some other trophies. They are
about the size of that one of
yours.
saw something the other day
that was quite interesting. A
boche came over on a bright
clear afternoon, and as soon as
the anti-aircraft batteries spot
ted him, they turned loose, but
he was too high for them. We
could see the shells breaking un-
der him and | guess he just
laughed to himself as he circled
round high above us. Once or
twice we heard his machine gun
sputter, but he dropped no bombs.