The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-01-29

Mrs. W. ]. Perkins has received |
the following interesting article from
Sergt. G. A. Windham, which wildly |
describes his trip to France. in which |
his friends will be much interested.
Sergt. Windham says:
On the night Of May 24tn, 1918, II
was sitting in the Office of the 9Th Co.,
Pensacola G.. A. G. at Fort Barran
cas-, Florida, with not a thought to
darken the horizon over my youns
life when unconsciously my hand
wandered over a mass of papers on
the desk and looking at one mere is
what was staring me in the face.
Sergeant G. A. Windham is trans
ferred to the seth Regiment Of Engi-
neers and will report at Camp Grant,
Rockford, Illinois, at once" it was
like bolt of lightning coming out
Of clear sky, but was very glad for
/ realized that at last was headed for
lover there"
The following day / turned over all
of my accounts as supply sergeant OF
the 9Th Co. G. A. G. to Sergeant
Dren, then packed up all my belong
ings, and they were many for q fell
low sure can accumulate lot OF
things in eight months, and went in
to Pensacola, where I spent two days
with friends" I left Pensacola al
noon May 9th, arriving in Chicago
the following night. I went directly
to the Elks' Club, where an Fix al
ways finds a welcome, and secured a
room. After / had bathed and had
supper I strolled down to the reading
room on the fifth floor where ] met
, an old white haired gentleman (whose
name I have forgotten) and after
: learning that I was also Mason, ne
, invited me to 60 with him to con-
, cert at the Masonic Hall, and / GER
tainly did enjoy the music and songs
also the comedy. At the conclusion
. of the program the Worshipful Mas
n ter requested that 60 on the stage
1, and lower the flag while the orches-
: ira played the "Star Spangled BAH
! ner." It was very impressive but
q think / was little nervous as there
!" were about three hundred people
y. there and they were all strangers tt
me.
The following morning l looked tn
city over and in the afternoon wen
" to ball game between the Chicago
: Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds, whicl
I was won by the Cubs two to one. BIZ
I Jim Vaughn pitched for Chicago AM
I Eller and Schneider for Cincinnati
! During the game Killifer of Chicag
I and Neale of Cincinnati engaged in
! fist fight at the plate, Killifer gettin
the worst of it, and both of them ban
ished from the game.
I The following morning l left owe
the Chicago and Northwestern TO
Rockford and reported for duty
! Camp Grant about three o'clock i
the afternoon. I was there informe
that the seth Engineers had bee
- transferred to the American Exped!
- tionary Forces and were then on thei
- way overseas. I was attached to CT
"D" 32nd Engineers and later trans
ferred to them (this company late
earning the name of Fighting Co. d.
/ went to work at once in the suppl
office with Lieutenant Holtpn and Sci
= geant Robinson and in one week "
had equipped 261 men for oversee Sc
r vice. We worked day and night b'
on the morning of June Sth, 1918, "
were rewarded for our labors. for G
that date we made our start II
France.
We made the trip from Camp Graz
to New York in a solid train OF Pul
man cars and the trip itself would
hard to describe. Just imagine you
self surrounded at every stop
about two hundred Red Cross ladi
livery pretty ones) with their han
Il and arms full of every kind Of de
cacies for you and you will then ga
a some idea of the trip. Long 1--we t
~ Red Cross, for it almost makes y