Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-01-29
SOLDIER LETTERS
Earl Wallace wanted "Rcal War"

Earl II. wallace, who Is serving
In the l4lst Aero Squadron writes
TO his mother, Mrs, T, II, Wallace,
OF this city. telling how no colebrat-
ed his birthday 'over there" For
fear he would be denied seeing real
war" he secured pass and went to
the front. The letter In part fol-
lows;
I'm In the Fourth pursuit group of
the second army. station ut Toul.
Aerodrome No, /, and have been
here since the 10th OF October. We
were In action only short time and
out OF all the time I've been here
was under shell fire only twice. The
first time In England when Ger
man sub shelled Dover. One OF
their shells struck n house and killed
woman and child and crippled an
other child. This was the only real
damage, At the same time they
sunk II or l2 fishing boats, which
were unarmed, Perhaps you read
about II along last March.
The last time was on my birthday,
got pass for town about 20
miles in the opposite direction from
tho lines. so l left early In the
morning and walked out TO the
crossroads. had walked but n mile
when truck overlook me. and as
luck would have II, they were going
as near to the lines as truck could
go. which was about three miles
from the third line trenches.
The roads were lined on each side
with burlap and painted all sorts OF
colors. After leaving the truck we
walked into the town Pont-au-Mous-
son. II sure was wreck OF town.
Passing through one street you could
see things Just as the people left
them. looked into one house and
It happened TO be millinery shop,
All OF the hats were on the shelves
or on the floor. In the bedroom tho
bed hadn't been disturbed.
At the end OF the street we came
to a bridge over the Moselle river.
We crossed and came TO headquar-
ters OF the negro division. We
got by there o. X. We walked be-
tween the first and second line
trenches. 1t was here we had our
first trouble with an NJ. p or guard.
He stopped us and wanted to. know
where we were going. And you had
ought to have seen the look on his
face when I told him I came up ia
see a little of the war. Then | told
him / had been In England most ol
the time. He told me TO wait n few
minutes, that a detail would be TAX
ing mess to the men in the front
lines so I stuck around and looked
over some shell holes. They go'
there about D. m. and when tney
had passed I fell in behind. We hat
walked about 100 yard and shell
came over, with a peculiar sing. thu
uueerest noise / ever heard. /
struck the road about 100 yard
behind us.
The next came lots closer, ant
when the next one exploded In tre
right ahead OF us the coons droppe'
everything and beat It for the dug
outs. II sure was comical. The
we're coming over at this time prett
regular. One OF them exploded !,
the road and left hole big enoug
to put a mule In. Our batterie
started in right back Of us and tai
about a racket. Well, | lay dow
in the road and stayed there.
II was all over in about an houi
but there wasn't much OF the roa
left ahead of us. / sat right dow
in the middle OF the road and lie
the negroes have the dug-outs. INA
ridge had been shelled so man
times you couldn't go any directio
without running into shell holt
don't believe they were four fee
apart by the time we had climbe
to the top OF the hill. 1t was abor
5 o'clock. I decided that I had see
enough war and started for hom'
and was very lucky in catching a
ambulance to our camp.
And now 1t is rumored that "
are in the army Of occupation an
that we are moving toward German
in very short time. 1t will be gret
won't It! It Is considered quite a
honor to be picked for that.