The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-01-03
HUN soMsiNo OF A HOSPITAL

departure Of the regiment
! HUN BOMBING OF A HOSPITAL
Henry Bird Of Salmon, a veteran
OF the civil war, has two sons and
several nephews who have taken
I part in this last struggle. His son,
Sergeant Max Bird, of the medical
corps writes Of his experiences as
follows:
November "a, 1918.
| Daar Dad: This being Sunday and
Fathers Day I'm going TO try and
write little in this letter that will
| be OF interest to you and the rest of
! the folks. The censor rules are not
as strict now and I'm going to give
you an idea of what and where I've
been done since we hit France.
In the first place after we left New
York the boat we were on struck out
for France in straight line and in
i've days we were met by the des-
troyers. They took us in from there
in two days. We landed in the har-
Dor OF Brest and such a trip over
we are never likely to see again for
1t was one OF the quietest trips the
boat had ever had according to the
sailors. | guess it was right for
never thought of being sick and that
must prove that it was quiet one.
The harbor of Brest is a beauty and
runs inland several miles. The town
Is not % be compared with some of
the other French towns as it is not
so beautiful. The streets are narrow
and not so very well kept | was
among the lucky ones to get to go
into the city as soldiers are not al
a hn e,ta.
1T was only by being a sergeant that
could get into the town. One of the
lleutenants took a couple of us in
and then l went by myself by using
an old pass. After we landed we
were stationed at one of Napoleon's
ola prison barracks at the back of
the town. There were several old
buildings there that had been used
by Napoleon as prisons and the
whole place had big stone wall
around 1t. While we were there the
french would bring berries and wine
TO sell to Us fellows and to get them
we would have to pay two prices for
them, but the berries were the big
gest and sweetest strawberries I've
! ever seen. The wine was the moor
est and was highly favored with wa
Ter. one taste was enough for me.
AFTER we left there we travelled
three days and four nights across
france 10 a short ways from where
we are now. | stayed there for two
TWO days and got a little rest then
as Lieut.. Eaddy was ordered to tbe
Front | had first choice and got to
go with him to a field hospital and
dld emergency work. While I was
there the Nerdun sector and the Ar
some woods were the main fronts
where there was any action and tha
patients we received came from
there The first week | was thera
the Germans got wind of where tba
hospital was located and we were
bombed or four nights straight At.
,eE that they let us alone for they
lost TWO planes that | know of and
the boys all said that there were a
Io' Oh them brought down but | nay.
Ct saw signs of any more. When
ieiieNed ana sent back | was one Of
the napplest men there ever could he
tor Il admit that my amount of grit
isii az Dig as 1t might be. and life
nsf g iookea any sweeer to me than
Tneh | lett that place. Since then
- 80. KIND OF feeling that /
would IKE to go back. There is some.
tning about the excitement tbo+
fellow misses.
Nhere we are now is oncs of the
sott spots, as the boys say. An of ms
are IN better quarters than we were
iaSt winter and even if we have ~
stay al winter I'll not complain.
ms town is a little below Toni
anu close TO Neufehateau. in a nratt,,
valley with good roads. on the ma.
.iohal highway and is considered one
on the best towns in this part OF the
country for filth. Outside of that tho
freneh people are very nice as long
as you have plenty of money and are
"llilhg 10 spend it on them
oh the other side of Neufchataau
s the birth place of Jean do Az
mere Is the old home left and a new
church has been built in memory of
her and the whole place very mucb
heid IN reverence by the French
\ lew miles above Toul are tho
hrst real signs of war, but in Toni
/ iISelt there Is berry little damage brt
as a fellow gets closer TO the Front
the towns are in a worse condition
some OF them entirely blows TO
pieces, The uneXploded shells are
very dangerous and some of them ha-
ing buried in the ground several foot
make II hard to remove them Tho
iano Is torn by shells and akonp ~
ola front the land will not he in
shape TO work for years.