The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-04-17
From Harry Snyder.
. Harchbeim, Germany,

Harchbeim, Germany,
March 20, 1919.
Dear Father: VIII drop a line
tonight to let you know that ! am
all o. k, am senulng you a few clip
pings that l thought might be of in
Ierest to you. One tells Of the NJ. T.
G. and the part it played in this war
and it is told exactly right. The in
cident told about st. Mihiel drive,
we'll AL NJ. Il. c. happened to take
an active part in chat. We hauled
II inch shells in that drive; they
weighed 40 pounds. We only haul
ed nine in a twO-tGn piece truck.
Well | had day OF rest today, did
mt get up until $3.50. We got a shot
is still little Sore, but is about all
O.. k. now. 1t was three times as
strong as the ones We. got in the
states. Well hope this finds you all
as we'll as it leaves me. | VIII say
goodnight. Your son and brother,
Harry o. Snyder.
NJ. T. c. 451, M. S. T. AIS, A. e. F..
When Uncle Sam breaks up house
keeping in Europe, there Will be a
pose of, a little business that operat-
ed or had supervision over 1898
vehicles, employed $4,000 men, and
during the year OF 1918 consumed
the modest amount of 4S,OOO,OOO
gallons of gasoline, 100000 gal
Ions of oil, and 100000 pounds OF
grease.
1t took part of the cargo space of
$50 vessels to bring over the We
hicles alone for Americas overseas
garage. On it's shelves are to be
found 10000 different spare parts,
ranging from a screw to transmits
sion And one can make choice of
100 different makes OF machines,
american and European:
1t is not as vet certain what will
happen to the business when it's
days of usefulness to the A. p. +.
are over. A certain amount OF it
" Ill, in all probability. be taken back
to the states for the Regular Army,
and the French, Belgian and other
take the rest. At any rate, whatev-
err is to happen to it in the future,
it is still tremendously occupied in
gathering up all the loose threads OF
transportation in the A. 2. F. and
making all ends meet.
1t went up to Germany side by
side with the Army of Occupation,
established its headquarters at Cob
lerz, and in a few days had 1000
men at WOGk Ill al ONel Hdu1 pa n
for the third army. In the base sec
tons of Brest, ST. Nazaire and Bor-
deaux it's activities have been in
creased in connection with the en-
barkatlon Of troops. 1t is busy;n
itself at Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Wcrk of Trucks in Battle.
The Motor Transport Corps-for
that is the name the A. e. F. motor
service has worn since July IL. 1918
TO whatever further extent 1t may
develop. however finely it may CO.
perate in the hauling and feeding Of
big, restless, scattered army, and
in the winding UP of our affairs in
Europe, will always look back to the
battle days of 1918 as its true his
tory, 1t wants remembered the
great trucks-42,S1S of them in all
that rushed from one end OF the
A. E. F. to the other with emergency
supplies, that crept under cover of
darkness up to the front lines with
ammunition and men; the 2,42O
light aviation trucks that sped swift
ly in and out of the advances area
with material Urgently needed; the
700 artillery supply trucks that
took spare parts, accessories and
tools for guns along where they were
needed as the guns advanced; the
500 artillery repair trucks that made
it possible to save many q gun and
many position.
It would not forget the. 154 ma