Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-04-23
SEEN SIGHTS AND HAD EXPERIENCES
THAT ARE VAIIfARIE


IBy Private Carl l.. Robinson. Co. &. 18th.
Machine Gun Battalion, in France, December 3 /
Dear Uncle. Aunt and Cousins viii write
a little 10 you this evening. | am on the last
of seven day furlough, which | am spending
at AiX-Les-BRin, near the Italian border. We
were sent here and are living az the best
hotels in fine style at the expense OF Uncle
Sam ana the Y. NJ. c. A. This town was one
of the great tourists places Of Europe, and
was one of the big gambling places. But
since the started gambling has been pro-
hibited and nov the Casino, which was the
building where the gambling took place is the
home Of the Y. NJ. G.. A., which is entertaining
the American soldiers in fine style. The Ca
sino is about the finest building | saw.
IL contains large theatre. a ball room, library,
restaurant, etc. The notorious Harry X. Thaw
is said 10 have lost half a million in two hours
here one night. The country around is beau
tifuL | went on cog rail road up on Mi.
Reward yesterday. We could see Mt. Blanc.
the highest point Of Europe. and other peaks
of Che Alps Mountains. There are remains of
old buildings built by the Romans hundreds
of years ago. Old Julius Caesar Is said to
have come here for baths in the sulphur hot
springs.
Since the armistice was signed we can tell
what We have been doing since we arrived over
here. which we couldn't do before. We sailed
cut of New York harbor July Z. Two days
later we stopped at Halifax Sava Scotia. and
there Joined by other boats until
about twenty crossed the pond 1t took 5
days lodging about until we landed at Havre.
France--quite a while for a landlubber like
myself, but the weather fine most of the
time and | didn't experience sea-sickness. No
submarines showed up. Two days out of Hav-
er feet Of sub ehasers met and took us
in. They small boats and about the
speediest ] ever saw. From Havre we rode
two days and two nights on the railroad in
hox cars. down into France. For four weeks
stayed at a little French village called
0rRes, and trained. Later they took over
into Alsaee Lorraine, in the Voges Mountains,
and there were In the trenches for four or
five weeks. We lived in dugouts during that
time. The dugout / slept in and crawled into
when the shells got to coming TOO thick was
about like the smallest, drtiest, darkest root
house you can imagine. The weather was
rainy most of the time and II wasn't very
agreeable but We came out q. n. We didn't go
over the top but had few bullets come close
TO my block. and bursting shells became mat
ter-0f-fact occuTances to US.
For the last four weeks have been hiking
all over Verdun and Argonne fronts. | guess
II the intention that should do some
real fighting up there, but the big retreat
just started when we got there and we were
unable to Overtake the fleeing Dutchmen. We
we're over some OF the battle fields the next
day after the fighting and were the first Allied
troops into several villages after the Germans
left. The people who had been there while
the Germans had possession in Il J-itifuI
condition. The BOehe had some of them be-
lieying that the Americans were an awful
bunch but when they found us out they a
happy lot. II was a great sight TO see them
tumbling into American auto trucks TO be
taken back into France TO be cared for. We
crossed the region about Nerdun where such
terrible ugnunE look place. AT the beginning
of the war. Il is said 100000 Germans and
l 90, 900 French killed there alone. We
also saw where the hard fighting took place
in the ATgOnne wood.
This trip and the experience have had have
been worth a lot to me. And now that peace Is
in sight ] guess il will not be long before /
get back TO u. S. A. all safe and sound. The
last four weeks pretty hard tests of en-
duranee We liked with packed $50 lbs)
something like 800 miles in that time. ! have
slept in all kinds Of places and on the wet
II. -
to hte skin. II had begun TO get my scat but
the day fUrlough came in Just right 80
am as good ever now. Jhefe are all sorts
Of prOphesies TO when will get hack
but | will make no attempt TO say when. II
may not be long and il might be several
months. Wish you all Merry Christmas.