River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-01-16
Soldiers Letters
From Private Herbert Vlie1and
Who Is Now At The Base
Hospital, Camp Sherman,
Ohio, Recovering From
Wounds Received
In Battle

Dear Father:
am writing this with my left
hand and it may be little hard to
read, but if you take your time,
guess you will be able to read it.
When we started for France, we
were told at New Jersey. that if we
were able to stock up with enough
tobacco. soap and anything that we
would need, we had better do so as
we wouldn't be able to get anything
in France, so spent a good deal,
and laid in a stock for a couple Of
years, and put it in my barrack bag.
then when | got to France. | went
into action right away, and never
got chance to use it. lost every
thing that | had, except some Of the
Huns machine gun bullets that failed
to go through my arm.
AS you know | was in the 32nd
Div. when crossed the pond, but
as | wanted to get right into the
]. fight. as soon as we arrived, trans
ferred into Co. 10th Regulars 1st
Div, and went into action in April,
north of Montidier, and put in II
days in the line without relief. was
In the Cantigny Drive. the first
battle fought by the American Army
and was in the beginning of the big
drive, that made the final blow.
The 18th Of July we got our final
orders for the next period Of time.
We were told we were to start the
drive on Scissor, which, If we were
successful would be the beginning
Of the final blow to the Hun. We
were told the blue skywas our limit,
Berlin was to be our first stop, and
our only relief would be a rest camp
l(and that meant the grave yard);
t,14t there would be reinforcement
behind us to hold the ground we
took, that we were to have the place
of Honor in starting, the drive, and
that we were to start the next day
July 18th, and believe me we had
some bloody work to do, and we sure
did it. | lasted until the 21st. The
last time went over the top was
early that morn. There were only
nineof us to go over, all that was left
of our gallant company that went
over $50 strong on the morning Of
the 18th. How many of that nine re-
turned | do not know as | got mine
at 9 o'clock on the morning of the
2lst.. It was the next afternoon be-
fore I got first aid, the 23rd before
got to the first hospital, and it
was the Oath before l was operated
on. Twas shot up with a machine
gun from my foot to my helmet,
but the Hun paid dearly for it, for
| am positive Of over sixteen to my
credit, for | picked these off sniping
and in some Of the heavy counter at
tacks I have shot over so rounds in
10 minutes. My gun would get so
hot that one would not pick it up
for a thousand dollars. It was life
or death for US, so we hung on and
pumped hell into old Fritz anyway
and as good luck. would have it I
never ran out of ammunition.
The first hospital that | was in
was operated on four different
times. | would just recover from
one, and then get another. For four
weeks the doctors said l had no
chance to recover, but | told them
the damned Hun could not kill me
and | was going to get we'll some
day, but for weeks | didn't know
whether the sun rose or set. Twice
when | was operated on, | was so
low they did not dare to give me
anything to relieve the pain.
| shall always give the credit for
my recovery to two nurses who night
after night spent hours and hours
working over me, overtime, for
which they do not get credit.
When | went to Base Hospital No.
8, near Paris, l got my fifth opera
ton, and | get my sixth tomorrow,
SO if you do not hear from me for a
week or so not worry, for | will pull
through as | have this far. But it
will take little while for me to
recover, as it is going to be an ex-
tremely painful operation, but they
say it will not be dangerous.
Idon't expect to leave this hospital