The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-05-08
THE SOLDIERS RESENT
SHAMEFUL INSULTS
Sergeant Major Heustis Of MinOt
Writes Interesting Letter 10 Set
Soldiers Right in Eyes of Public.

some dirty sheets in this country are
publishing shameful reports conrern-
ing the soldiers in France. The hide
pendent is glad to publish the letter,
in hopes that we may be able to set
our noble soldiers who have been left
in France. right in the eyes of the
public. The letter follows: u
Beaune, Cote Dor, France.
March rs, 1919.
Dear Mr.. Colcord:
1t is high time that / was getting
busy and fulfilling in part my promise
to you when I left home some eigh-
teen months ago, and writing your
promised letter. have no excuses
to offer, but time has rested heavy
with good many of US here, and
someone had to suffer, much as we
disliked to have them do so. But at
that l am sure it was some relief,
for months we were unable to write
but, "all's well and that we're some
where in France"
But that time is all past now and
we are at liberty to write more in
detail Of the things here in this coun-
try But feeling sure that you have
heard of the many things here from
the boys who = have returned from
FLANDERS" and it would only be re-
peating old news. So / am going to
pass over all that for this time, and
when l come home | will have pic
lures, maps and the like that are at
your disposal.
| The main object Of my letter to-
night is something that is going on
in our dear old u: S. A., thing that
is setting very heavy on the minds
of the boys that are left here in
France, left for the time being only.
| We have occasion to see some of the
papers from home and in them we see
many strange things and also are
reading between the lines, and we see
above it all some remarks about the
boys left in France.
Now these remarks are not pleasing
to the minds of those left here, and
Of this one thing I feel that in JUS
tice to the boys here, someone must
speak and it seems from letters and
papers received from home, the
"doughboy" in France is getting a
pretty hard DEAL One does not like
to mention these things, but it has
come to point that it has to be made
known, as it will have to come out
sooner or later.
1t is this. Some weeks ago, there
appeared in an article written in the
Stars and Stripes, paper edited by
the A. E. F., for the A.. E. F., and
paper very we'll liked by the boys,
there appeared the article as regards
"venereals". This has been the cause
of good many comments from peo-
pie at home and from the papers,
because they did not understand, it
not being fully gone into. Their in
depreciation Of the article, as publish
ed and written about is little stiff,
for you will find troops held here to
complete different works, ETC., are
not in that class. 1t states that all
the boys were being sent home with
the one exception Of this particular
case. These men have been put in
to hospitals and camps by themselves
adm with the units there are very few
or none.
In paper published in Montana,
it is stated that the 41st Division had
/ arrived home with the exceptions as
mentioned in the previous paragraph.
This is not true and is a gross injus-
| tice to the boys left in France. In
the organization of which I am at
| This time member, there are about
- per cent of the men old 41st Div.
men, men from Montana and Dakota.
/ Now these men are here because they
nave npt been ordered home, here per-
forming the duties of the big Uni
| Wv 1r,b1 y, i, RI
men who We're formerly members of
the 163rd and 164th. U. S. Infantry,
and are here because they are held
! for necessary work and awaiting
transportation home.
| Now, our division has gone home,
in name only, to a great extent. We
are here and can not get home at
this time, patiently waiting orders to
move and for the time that they have
shaped things for our home coming.
But we object to being called 'venere-
als", for I have good reasons to be-
ieve and in a position to KNOW that
this organization is as clean as the
day they sailed from home for duty
in France, and likewise many Of the
other organizations.
| am sure, that did the people at
home really know, instead of taking
the printings and pratter of some fill
thy sheet published there at home
I for truth, papers painting things as
black as is possible for the men here,
there would not be so many letters
coming over to France for the boys
asking why they are kept here and
asking, yes, asking outright if the
papers spoke the truth. You can i'm
agine the state of mind Of the boys
here with this thing placed before
them.
We are not venereals, have not been
and object to the papers CHASING us
as such. In justice to the boys here
Tin France, stay with them and give
them the support, that in justice is
theirs, and the support needed in this
thing. 1t will be no nice thing for
the boys to come home having the
people thinking i'll Of them, all on ac-
count Of some pratterings of said fill
thy sheets.
The boys feel this thing keenly and
really are getting in tery sad state
Of mind and I am sure that few
COMMUNICATIONS an the mart Of some of