The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-01-21
COMES
EASY TO SOLDIER

EASY TO SOLDIER
That one young Winnemucca sol
der is making the best of his time
and enjoying his enforced stay "over
there" is evidenced by the following
letter from Corporal II. L. DeMott,
who is in the air service corps, Co. 2,
A.E.F. in France. He is one of the
boys who are reaping their reward for
early enlistment in the war. To wit
ness the arrival and demonstrations
at the time of President Wilson's ar
rival in France, to mix" with the
French people after having learned to
speak their language, to learn of their
customs, to visit the different parts of
America and Europe, to see the spots
where shells from the German super
gun fell in Paris-surely this soldier
boy is well repaid for doing his duty.
to say nothing of the "lionizing" and
lifetime glory he will bask in. Read
the letter:
Orly on Seine, France.
December IA, 1918.
My Dear Friend:
I have some time this morning to
write you a letter, as it is a holiday
for us, and I'll use part of it writing
letters. OF course l expect to soon
be "over there" myself, but / am going
to continue writing as usual.
President Wilson will be in Paris
today, and | will see him there, when |
go in. I'll leave camp here about /
o'clock pm. and arrive in Paris about
2 pm. 1t will be a grand fete" for
the Americans and Parisians. believe
me, when President Wilson drives
down the of Paris.
1 was in Paris last Sunday visiting
more places of interest. | was also
in there TUESDAY, November II, in a
lllOlOI luthy 6CltlHS uppiIt " 1dbiD
at one of the freight depots. I was
"parleying" with a Chinaman who
could speak French. 1t SURF seemed
odd to hear a "Chink" speaking
French, but he did so very well, I
thought. l have no trouble making
myself understood now, and | under
stand most of what is aid to me. You
see | have not wasted all my spare
time, but have attended French class
regularly.
I am in our little hut recreation
room writing this letter. Some of the
fellows are reading, some are writing,
two are playing dominoes and M is
playing the piano. The boys are play
ing and singing the Missouri Waltz"
now and | must join in. We all love
that pretty old song.
I am sending you under separate
cover a copy of our A.E.F. newspaper,
"The Stars and Stripes" and hope
you'll receive it all OK. l enjoyed so
much the papers you sent me, but
have not received any for nearly two
months. They probably were lost in
transit when / left England. 1t was
sure thoughtful of you, old boy, to
send the papers TO me.
The sky is cloudy today and it may
,ai, on NAV naf-Onn can nnx-ar foil
here. 1t would be safe to bet on
the rain, however, as it has rained
most of the time since | landed at lie
Harve from England. | am so used
to wading around in sticky mud that
it is just second nature to do so now.
We sure had a hard time yesterday
with our truck detail. We had about
seventeen trucks, all big ones, and had
to go to a vile about thirty-ive miles
from here, after wood for our camp.
We had a lot of trouble getting stuck
in the mud and one truck had a
broken steering gear, but finally we
all got back to camp OK.
We have an entertainment of some
kind nearly every night in the YIN.
CA. hut--movies some nights, vaude-
vile others, and occasionally a lee
turer m u way. / have heard
some very interesting lectures in the
hut and some good comedies and
vaudeville. When l feel like going out
in the evening, when the weather is
not too bad, l get a pass and go to
Chaisy-le-Roi or Juvissy. or some near
village. l like to mix with the French
people and speak their own language
with them. English seems a great
deal more difficult to learn, for them,
than French is for us.