Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-02-21
SAW PLENTY OF
HARD FIGHTING
Harrison Jordan Says Work
Was Hard But He Does
Not Regret Doing
His Part in
the War

following letter, received this week,
from their son, Harrison, now with the
American army of occupation in Ger,
many:
Gladbach, Germany. Jan. 20, 1919
Dear Mother and Father:
Just a few lines this morning let
ting you knox that | am in the best OF
health and enjoying life immensely UNI
der the circumstances.
| shall write you short history OF
the experiences / have had during my
career in Uncle Sans army over here
up to the present time.
l landed at Liverpool England, on
the Doth of August, 1913. From there
we were sent to Camp Winchester and
were there three days when we came
to Southampton. We boarded ship
and set sail across the English Chan
mel landing at Havre, France, August
%. We went to camp about five
kilometers from Havre and stayed
80
aboard train and started toward
southern France. The box cars, or in
other words the side door Pullmans,
are only about 20 feet in length and
they aim to put about forty men i'll
car so you see it crowded us very
much.
We landed at our destination in
three days and marched about II kilO-
meters out in the country to little
town called Bley if | remember the
name right, and were there drilling I'M
til about the 18th of September. /
was transferred to the 32nd Division
and was two days travelling by rail
road to where they were located.
Just ten days after / joined the 32nd
Division | was called to move toward
the front. So on Sunday afternoon
we rolled packs and started over the
hill about kilometers to another
town and there we found trucks
enough to move the whole division.
We travelled all night and until about
10 o'clock the next morning. We then
got off the trucks and walked about 3
kilOmeters to a woods and there we
pitched our tents and were there two
days. In those two days we could
hear the artillery firing and never from
then until the armiStice was signed and
the guns ceased firing were we out OF
hearing of those awful pieces of de-
structiOn while we were camped in the
woods.
wrote you letter Sept. a and
from that time until Oct. a, | didn't
get time to write to you.
During that time | surely went
through a world of fire as some people
call it. On the evening of September
18th we rolled packs and started for
ward toward the front line. We
stopped just beyond little town at
the mouth of a gulch with high banks
on each side. At 200 o'clock that
morning we laid down and took a lit
tie nap until daylight
The next morning when we started
on our way we saw a BOche aviator
come over in French plane they had
CAPTURED and set fire to two American
looms afire he started toward his owr
line but never got there as one OF 0ul
anti-aircraft guns got him and brought
him down. | have seen several fights
in the air and must say they are very
interesting to watch. Have seen sew
eral Boches and their planes brought
down to the ground by our aviators.
We camped in "a woods just below
where our heavy artillery was located
That night there were several shells
from BOche gun that came flying over
amongst us but no one was hurt. II
was a gun that the infantry missed
some way as they were charging
through the woods. \ number of meI
went out the next day, located the gun
and captured it with eight prisoners.
On the 18th of September we moved
up toward the line and relieved the
37th division. At daybreak on the
morning of September Both we went
over the top. We went after the
BOches on the 4th and 9Th of October
and had hard fighting as the enemy
hurled their artillery and machine guns
upon us. We gained about 212 kilo
meters in two days. On the morning
of the 9th the 125th Infantry relieved
us and we pulled back to our kitchens
and enjoyed a good feed and goOt
days rest.
We proceeded up the line that nigh
taking a new position and here il
where we saw real fighting. Thu
enemy reinforced to hold us but by ad
vancing slowly and steadily ant
checking all counter attacks we go
them on the go. On the 10th of Oct
Ober we went through Bots de Rappis
capturing Hill 900. In the drive w
took number of villages including til
city of Romagne and railroads leadin
into the city.
During the last week of our fightin
it rained most all week. 1 have lai
in holes with 6 and inches of mud i
them but we Yankee boys though
nothing of that. Victory was in on
hearts and victory was what we wer
going to have whatever the cost was.
On Saturday evening October 81 w