The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-03-10
BEMIDJI SOLDIER WRITES
4. 'tPIONEER,, FROM FRANCE

Y Inc FPlOneer rs IN f6ceipEIOf "a
letter from f. f. St,iempges, who ia
a cook in Company X, Third Pi neer
Infantry, American 5Expeditionary
force, which will prove sof interest
to many of his sfriepds34in Benid5i.
The letter was dated February, ii,
Laneuville, France, and Is as fol-
lows: =. - 49,
Before I left. some OF you wished
me TO- write some of thesneWs. We'll,
l don't know much news 4toS write
but will give you some Idea OF my
army life. :1 :. s.& s ssss;s.=st !
II left Park Rapids on July %,
1918, and travelled three days and
nights. The train was good up-tor
date American passenger train but
we travelled straight through every
thing. We. even went ~ through
twenty-eight hills, or, as they called
them, tunnels. One town we came
through. we all had our heads out Of
the windows and a big "guysin the
street turned the hose on, u.s. We
sure hurt the back OF our necks on
the windows. We didn't see any
army life. though until the train
stopped near camp, and an officer
came through and yelled "show
some life, your In the army now" .-
was put in the kitchen next
morning and remained there ever
since. There wasn't much of interest
happened there except the drilling,
examining, r. three shots In the arm,
and once in awhile a rssbawling out"
I didn't know what, to do about that
so ! asked the mess sergeant and he
said to ,'''bawl out" the X. IS" or
kitchen police. That helped right
smart ~ :'fS2
We pulled for Camp Stewart and
Italiania Americanis.. Now here, is
where ] wish to say / don't booze,
but nevertheless I felt far from
healthy all the. way. We saw some
interesting things such as houpies,
or sea hogs, which Jump something
like deer only in and out Of the
water. We also saw a few shark,
flying fish and whale. In twelve
days We struck the Muddy city, so
called, Brest.. Our common discussion
then was: what kind OF barracks we'd
get for rest camp. We marched out
about eight kilometers and pitched
pup" tents and took that for rest
camp. -
We then marched back and were
loaded into side door Pulmans.
which is a French box car about the
size Of a piano box mounted on
wheels and we set sail for the front.
We stopped at = several places and
pitched tents temporarily anad move
again. 1t was raining all OF the
time We took another start and
finally passed 2seme big guns in the
bushes. 30 knew something was up.
We finally struck some kind of a
landing place in which everything
seemed to be playing hide and seek,
az horses were also out Of Asie--.s.
There wasn't any thing kept In
sight and very little smoke allowed
and tnos fights at all 81 We stayed
there one night and q day and the
next might put on the hike. We al
ways moved ID the night We hiked
nearly all night and finally struck
beds under shelter of trees and
brush out Of sight The next after
noon we + Witnessed ii the first 81 air
battle. We then moved to Lavoy to
handle ammunition for the front.
We had our kitchen In a. large barn.
Jerry used to come over and disturb
us quite often by dropping cans or
bombs. y We would hear him coming
and put the lights and fire1out soShe
couldn't find -uss--The roar of cannon
and the rocking OF the earth was
started the second, night we struck
Laroy. We. were then taken to, Aus
breville Just behind the, lines. That
is the fourth platoon and was sent
along There we were visited con-
tinuously by Jerry. He annoyed US
quite a bit as heswas noisy He kept
the anti-air craft in practice. One
afternoon, three ferries came, over
and one of the sergeants, stood on the
side hill and the men were on top.
A shell came whist1ing through the
air and struck behind the sergeant
and seemed to start everyone on the
move for cover, ] was under a cans
vass by the stove and next three balls
came through the cook tent, spatter-
ing dirt around We moved out I'M
til things were more settled.
Nights, the sky would be lit up
all around from gun fire. was then
sent to the second and third platoon
at New ville.s There we were when
the .armistiee was signed. We moved
to Romarne right AWAY and then 20