The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-11
SOLDIERS LETTERS

| OVADAAxNO AAk i LINZ
Here is another of Floyd King
splendid letters, written to his schoo
friend Walter Chubbuck. 1t will b,
enjoyed by all:
On the Rhine, December 2S, 191,
Dear Club:
Received the little letter which 70,
wrote the other day and was SURE
glad to hear from you, but say il
was sure surprise. Neider and
had long given up ever hearing from
any of the old gang at all, but
guess all Of you haven't forgotten us
Neider, France and myself were
all in this company, but France go,
dinged" in our little scrap ON hill
212 of the Reims-Soissons salient
He went to the hospital and has
never gotten back. Neider and are
the only two Blackfoot boys in this
organization.
presume you will be interested
in some of my experiences so here
goes.
We went In on the Lorraine
front in the Aucerviller sector last
February for our training. In April
we were declared to be O. K. by
French officers so we moved on up
the line and took over" the Baccarat
sector, which he held until last June.
The Aucerviller sector was rather
quiet, but the Bacarrat was not so
quiet. In fact it was rather lively.
When we left the Lorraine front we
were cited by we'll known French
General for our good work on that
front.
1t was on the Lorraine front that
was under my first shell fire, first
barrage, first gas and under my first
attack by the Boche. You can Just
about imagine how I felt when l
heard the first shell come screaming
from the Boche lines and landed
close to me, throwing small frag-
ments of shell every place and throw
ing whole COB of mud and rocks
every direction ] didn't particularly
mind those first few, but later it got
to be hell. Boche gas wasn't half
bad. OF course, we had to spend
many unpleasant hours with our gas
masks on, but that was all in the
game.
We found the dugouts and
trenches in bad shape down there.
Water in the dugouts and mud and
water all the way from an inch to
almost knee deep in the trenches.
Our wire was always in pretty good
shape for every night we had to go
out and repair it. The damned Boche
.ook great interest in throwing a few
shells into it every day. Just enough
70 keep us always repairing it the
following night. We repulsed
several raids and put out a few our
selves and every night there was pa
roll work.
When we left the Lorraine front |
We were. under the title of "Shock |
Troops" We hiked and rode the
french pullmans up to the Cham |
,agne front and arrived there in |
lime to get into the fire works of |
July Ia, when the Boche started their |
asst great offensive. We were "in"
lear Shippers, in front Of the city
Chalous! Our old division and the
french Blue Devils were in together
here. When the fight was over
very Blue Devil in there grabbed
n American around the neck and
,issed him to show their hearty ap-
for the way we had stayed
nd stopped old Fritz. The French
the drive and had very
much artillery and machine guns on
hat front. OF course there was our
livisibnal artillery and our three
'attalions Of machine guns, to-
ether with the regimental M. G.
ompany.
At about 1 o'clock, July IA might
[me) We turned loose our barrage.
bout - o'clock the Boche barrage
oil on US and say the two of them
oEether was more than hell. The
wo barrages lasted until about
clock tho next morning and all
light from IL o'clock on till It was
lmost rs bright as day from the
ashes OF the guns and the burst
lg shells. The noise made by the
rtillery was more than can ever be
nagined. Guns Of all sizes and cali
ers were barking and believing
'om the little one Founders up to
40 big sixteen and eighteen inch
.uR. Just 1T sunrise the morning
the afteenth old Fritz came
over" Just thirteen waves were
int against US that morning on
bout twenty-five divisions. never
'unted them but that's what It was
I'D to have been. The Boche At
'cked In massed formation and as
ION a. . wave would hit our wire
would be annihilated by machine 6
inhre. BY 8 o'clock our wire and 1
o Mans Land was carpeted with {
erman dead and wounded and III
less old Fritz decided 1t was an i'm I
to break thru 80 no more /
oche came over and by noon every
ing was as quiet as could be. G
About 7.30 the morning of the q
'teenth got four very slight =
ounds from q Boche shell. It was
1t serious tho and never went to
e hospital. We were taken from r
at front very early one morning
I'd started hiking and riding French
lllmans up to the fight at Chateau
merry. We went in there where
Q Americans were driving and say
. hit some fast fighting there. The :,
d Rainbow" drove old Fritz back z
kteen Kilometres. Forced the pss-