The Ordway new era., 1918-08-23
With the Boys
Here and There
Dear Mother and Dad:

Dear Mother ana DAD:
1t has now been some over a year
since 1 packed my little bag and
started out to get the kaiser" l
understand he is still at large, but
from the rate he has been travelling
since B battery appeared on the fir
ing line l think his race is about
run and he is about to retire to that
oblivion from which he and the Hun
will never return.
In my year of service I've learned
many things and while at times we
have had hard things to put up with
l certainly do not regret the day
enlisted, and it is probably safe to say
that 1 shall never spend another
year so full of experience.
In our first camp at Denver. one
of the big disappointments was learn
ing that kitchen police does not con-
sist of guarding the kitchen. but of
peeling spuds and washing pots and
pans, and that stable police do not
watch the stables but serve more
as a manicurist of mules. And you
know that the army. mule is not the
most gentle animal on earth.
When we hit Camp Green at Char
lotte, we thought we were going to
have a few months of training in a
nice warm southern camp, but We
only stayed there about two weeks.
However, in that short time we learn
ed to eat yams and to bootleg COCO
cola on Sunday. Here we also lost
our horses which fact makes Camp
Green a-pleasant spot in my memory
Rough Experiences
From here we were taken to Camp
Mills, on Long Island, and of the
few months spent there 1 have no
desire to talk George Washington
at Valley Forge had nothing on us
and if the snow still remains and
l have no doubt it does, you can still
find our tracks there. We were the
last regiment to leave Mills and were
the last U. S. men to leave tents for
the winter.
The one thing that made this camp
bearable was the friendly and hos
pitable treatment we received from
the people of Long Island and New
York. We also had bit of the big
city and exploring that wild trail
called Broadway.
Camp Merritt in New Jersey was
our next haven. and the nice warm
barracks looked mighty good to us.
Most of our time here was spent in
quarantine for measles and other kid
troubles which some of us had es-
capped earlier in life. Christmas and
New Years were spent In this way,
holiday we really enjoyed ourselves.
Sees Tusicania Sink
After one or two false alarms we
were finally put on board one of the
largest steamers afioat, and in COM
pany of good sized convoy started
on our great adventure. Everything
was fine sailing outside of a few
everpresent rumors, until the evening
the Tusicania was torpedoed, and
then you bet your life there was some
excitement
When we were being jostled from
one camp to another our popular song
had been Where Do We Go From
Here Boys" but when the boys on
the sinking ship sang it as they
jumped into the ocean, then we
commenced to realize what 1t really
meant.
After short stay in England we at
last landed somewhere in France"
and since that time have had some
wonderful experience and seen some
great sights. have written you
about all could of our travels over
France. but this last lap which
brought us on the front has been the
best of all. AS soon as we arrived
in the war zone we found the roads
crowded with one continuous train
of big guns, trucks, Ambulances, am
munition trains and soldiers going
and coming, night and day.
On Battle Line
My Fourth of July was spent in
day of the greatest hustle and
hustle I've ever witnessed. and Just
one year from the day 1 left Ordway
we sent over our first shot at Fritz
and have been at it steadily ever
since. We have moved from one
place to another few times, and
have had the honor to be in some
of the biggest and most decisiye
victories of the Allies.
The country here is naturally de-
serted by civilians and it certainly
makes ones blood boil to follow in
the wake of the retreating Hun and
see the signs of destruction and van
dalism he has left behind. / used
TO think we were at war with the
German government only, and had
Il certain amount of respect for the
German himself. but since seeing
with my own eyes the trail he has