The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-02-13
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SOLDIER BOY LETTERS
From John Ray WEIGH.

Neumagen, Germany, Jan. 10
Dearest Cousin: Well I just receiv;;
ed YOUR letter of Dec. ~, 1918, and
ter from the q. S. A. certainly looks
good to me Well on our tour we
Travelled some distance: We landed
at Liverpool, England, July 70,
1918. England is a very pretty
country and the buildings are a.
are about one-half the size of those
II divi iLe into to compartmentn, with
seating capacity for eight people ana
the doors open on the side. we
crossed the English Channel on a
cattle boat and it was somewna.
rough but x6 ony tV %e f agnded
France at Lee Harve in rest camp
where we stayed two days then we
got into box cars and took a three
days ride to Camp Lee Cornua, ar
rived there July 22nd. This country
was not very good as it was sandy
and dry. We left this camp in Sep,
headquarters which is located in a
France are sure good and along
most all motoring roads there IS q
row of trees on each side that
makes it lok nice. On Nov. 18th, l
was in a convoy moving some troon
up closer to the front and the flags
hung on most every car that idas aver hes
noon as we passed Red Cross nos
pital they gave every man a flag to
but on their cars. And where we
crossed the old Hindenburg lines
there were 1000 of miles of barb,
wire entanglements there and
trenches walled up with rock SO they
would not cave in, and in the Dug
outs. there were beds, stoves ana G f1n
here in Germany is surely some pref
ty scenery, the mountains were Gov
cred with snow at Christmas time
and were a fine sight. Christmas
we went up on top of one of the
mountains; it is 1900 feet to the
top of them. and somewhat colder
there than down here IN the vailey
along the Mosel river: The houses no Sc
gether and the streets are paved
With rocks. The houses in the
towns have electric lights. The PEG.
Die work their cows instead OF
horses, for there is very few horses
in this part of the country. Ihey
raise grapes on the MOUNTAINS Where
it looks Impossible to climb up to to
their backs. We came -thr9ug5h
Treves and it is a nice city. | THINK
all the boys have beds to sleep IN
now. Three of us stay in the one
room. We have a cot and ped,
stove, table, chairs and an electric
light. 1t is about 6 o'clock p. m.
here now and / expect you are IN
school, about IL o'clock a.. m. IN
Iowa. The country in Belgium sure
was torn up something fierce. |
don't think there was building IN
Verdun that was not damaged some
and the most Of it just simply ruiz
ed and one little village not far from
there is nothing but mass OF rock;
also the trees along the roads had
their tops shot off, trees twelve
inches in diameter and shell holes
in the ground are a sight, me
bridges were all blown up wherever
they crossed the streams. In the
bushes the Germans had regular
barracks where they kept their
horses and stuff camouflaged so you
could not see them any distance
away. Some of the camouflage was
built of netting with green bushes
on it, Well l think | have written
enough for this time so will close.
Oh say do you ever see anything
about the Goth division coming
home That's what all the boys are
thinking of now. ! am as ever
Hea duuarters Co., 345th F. A.,
American EXD Forces.