The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-02-01
HEADQUARTERS
JENNINGS TROOP
DONE VALIANT
SERVICE IN WAR
The following letter from a boy tc
his dad" tells the story:
Nov. 25, 1919.
Mr. A c. Shinman

his dad tells the story:
Nov. IS, 1919.
Mr.. A C. Shipman.
Dear Dad:
Yesterday was to be "fathel's day"
when all the boys were asked to
write to Dad. Most of The boys have
let the letter to mother sulice for the
whole family and | have been enc
of them
Mother has often asked bow | live,
what my work is and Wha. we do for
amusement. | have never cold very
much because l thought better to
tell too little, than too much. Now,
l imagine that we will be permitted to
tell considerable more about the
country, our movement, our battles
and our fun.
Our division left New York Oct.
10, 1918 and landed Nov lst. We
travelled by rail from st. NaIarre to
Varcoulers in little, dinky box cars,
with plenty of ventilation, and it
was "some cold" then. On the side
of the car was the inscription Han
MES 40 Vhereaux g." We were in
Varcoulers a few months and then
moved to Rolanport. At this time
l was doing mechanical work from
setting up stove to repairing auto
mobiles. | went ahead Of the divi-
sion to RolanpOrt and was there for
Christmas. For Christmas present
| froze my feet and took the humps.
| went to the hospital with the
mudips and succeeded in getting rid
of the mumps and "cooties" at the
same time. l went back to the
troop for few days, and then went
back to the hospital with bronchitis
and came very near kicking out that
time but you know | am pretty hard
to kill so finally left the hospital and
after going through various Organl-
cations landed in the 4lst division
which at that time was non-com-
Blatant, and / was not satisfied to be
out of the game. So by '"wire pull
ing" | managed to get back with
my old troop. l got back with them
at Bacarat and was in time for all
the fun. We left Bacarat sector and
faced the German offensive before
Chalons. We not only stopped their
drive, but tore their ranks so badly
that they were stupefied. From the
Champagne we we're swung into the
Chateau Thierry battle where we took
the offensive and drove them back IN
a series of brilliant successes. Just
after Chateau Thierry | went to
Paris for a few hours. had the
greatest time of my life, but did not
get to stop long enough to suit me.
We struck the enemy next at St.
Mihiel and drove them several kilo-
meters; we took Mountseve at very
little cost, a position which had cost
the allies very heavy loss to try to
take and without success.
It was a veritable bee hive of dug
out and the officers houses were of
the best; you could tell that the Ger
mans intended to hold it at all costs.
We next went into the Argonne
and here we met the best troops OF
the enemy and the stiffest resistance.
1t was fight all the time, then until
the armistice was signed.
l played lucky all through the
war, did not get scratch. Had
shells thrown all around me, one
piece hit my helmet; was within a
few feet of one boy who was killed,
one boy and l were drinking from the
same cup, he was hit, and I not
touched. I have been in air raids,
when the boche were dropping things
all around,
And have seen the raking the
boys with machine guns and had them
barely miss me. II had one "Dud"
just miss me and bury in the ground
beside me, and l stood there frozen
stiff, but it did not go off.
After all it has been great and
brings out the best there is in one,
am glad l was permitted to be in it.
One of the funny things was when
the Germans located our kitchen by
a direct hit. They scattered "slum"
and "corn willy all over the place,
eleven of the boys were wounded but
none killed.
| am driving fiivver now, and be- |
lieve me it is some job driving in
army traffic. We have been fol-
lowing the enemy as he retires. You
should see the welcome we received |
in Belgium and Gutenberg, espec-
tally Belgian; nothing is too good for
us, "The DELIVERIES"
Well the game is played now, and
/ think it will only be few months |
until we get home.
While I do not regret any part of
it, will certainly BE- glad to get |
back home and believe me, there is
no country in the world like the
good old U. S. A. ran across Harry |
Hutchins just before the Argonne
battle. He had been wounded by |
schrapnel, machine gun bullets and
gassed, but was on his feet and rar-
ing to get into the big fight.
Well | must close now as my can
die is almost gone. Will write again
~ nsrrYrzSsN1