St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1919-01-08
PVT. CASTONGUAY
WRITES HIS FATHER
Had Flenty OF Excitement Crossing
the Ocean

the Ocean
Private Horace ]. Castonguay wrote
the following Christmas lcr,cr to his
IutnCr:
ST. Jean De Nonts, F.ance
Dear Dad:
1hIs is Dads Christmas Letter Day
ior us Doys over neIe, il..d yvu may be
sure YOU M.ii not Dc Ior4 r4,o.,en b., your
so,u,.r 10Y over here.
AS We nave the nperty of writing q
ilttie more ABOUT our army nfe IN
4 rance a.l gong to Try 70 make IL
d reai iJau s letter and tell you Il lev
u the mcidenLs SINCE / LETT the good
old Y. 5. ~.
Ay company and regiment left
camp nloun Juiy 40, lSlo, Ior camp
up.oL Where We stayeu a couple OF
Gays and rnvn wen. cn boaru this big
snip wnicn took US saIo'y across the
po.id. Un.li lhen there wasn't any
.nnl,s very interesting lor me to see as
1 mad been in all tnes1 PAGES b>tore.
.,uc mere Is Wnere the big show Starts.
we ielt the dock aDout 500 p. m..-
car sec the Statue o. Liberty d.sap-
puar4ng ye,, a.ld rs OUr' slup was no
wcrld beater 1 had Il good cha..ce to
see IL disappear very SLOWLY. We went
% HahlaX % meet me rest o. The co.,
voy rs there were about 25 ships t!lay
CROSSED at TINS same time.
we we're L / days an tnc water.
.ound .hat AiDcr4 Eln.ilo.!I aid o,hcr
ST. !. boys were in some OF the ships
cut could not .cc them. ".5 IN
l.opes OF Inecting thcm whtr4 VIC
would land, but tac conycy was tro!l-
o1 I'D u day before landing AMI ,hat
j., the ga:t / heard OF ijA si.'c> Wc
al ian ted sa"aiy. Iho trio vas a
GOD one AZ The ~.a,hc' va tn ;;nd
&c 0clon wac cnliN Ill the "al cYct.
It .'pa cold, thau&N. bN. that n'o nnt
..cubl2 nn Z: a1N U3cd - cod
weather.
The day before landing Wo had -
.it.'a t"ritement. We bad onr 'ir>e
experiences %n,l really ,i"v' :hat tho'e
Was va" on. Fpr V2 wcio #t;22:i@j
by few subrArinc 1t WA. gr"%t
o sec the sub chaa:"; 10 Ak th2n.
II did not last very lon" q; he chas-
crs who "erc c3cnlt.aT rs ~ 'foi'7
.way mighty quick With tAcn, .hc
next afternoon We ianGtd ct Liver
rool, IL felt mighty nice to a.s@'l
walk on land after being OF the skip
lar 70 laaa- = llI.s y Z -!-SSa e,,;;ft;- e.;
night and then WCEt o. 70 Sourn
Hampton f. . few day ut a rest
camp. W. we're greeted by al the
rnnn'c - ~, 'Nt@' ]hGA ,'.-, "ttee{@ o.
,,,,.. i....,. Inen We i,.t fvl N,Et@
and q few more day; OF rest and then
0 this camp where I have been the
last four months. The town is about
as large us Passumpsic, but 1T Is al
together different in the ways OF llv-
inc: over here. There is a nice avia-
tion field here and / have seen some
class, flying and was also up to TICK c
he Angels feet few times m.-self.
It is great to so up in an airplane'
Y ou are certainly travelling 'ome'
when you l>ave the ground, Ifere IS
no Chief to stop you because
,ou are breaking the speed limit: you
,an tell the world that good old Oncic
Sam has some mighty good av ators'
This field put out money for the tro
luring the big drive. / have not been
~ for some time now. l am teie-
,honc operator and keep plugging at
he switchboard all day and q few
,iohts during the week as all good
,clophone girls do, when on du'y.
am in hopes these few mci1ents
yil interest you till you see nc AGAIN.
/ rcmain as ever,
Your son,
HORACE
18th Co., i tn Reg, A. i. +. i