Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1919-02-05
WAS A PRISONER
in GERMANY

Warren Boy Narrowly Escapes Being
Hit by Shrapnel and Machine
Gun Bullets.
Harold Swanson, son Of Mr.. and Mrs. |
81. M. Swanson, of this city, tells about
his experiences in letter to the home
folks.
American Expeditionary Force,
Jan. 8, 1919.
Dear folks:
just got some of my mail today
the first have received since Septem-
Der. ,..
We returned to - yesterday, so
you can address my mail to the old adj !
dress. We thought for a while that
we would be sent home, but the order
was changed and here we are, back at
the old place. It certainly was dis
appointment, but we've got to make
the best Of it. From rumors circulat-
ing around we may be home the middle
of March. At present the company is
out drilling, but we didn't have to go
out today, as we had no guns or
equipment. From now on all we'll do
is to drill, suppose.
It surely is hard to go back to this
life again after our method of living
the last three weeks
= The Red Cross took charge Of us
from Rastatt to Vichy and we surely
had the time Of our lives. We passed
through Switzerland and the people
there certainly gave us a royal well
come. It's the prettiest country have
ever seen. I have seen the Alps-some-
thing never expected to see in my life,
even after getting over here.
We left Rastatt Monday evening, the
9th of December, and reached Basel,
Switzerland, in the morning about 8 100
o'clock. There the train stopped for
two hours and we had breakfast in one
of the large. restaurants in the staten.
We had roast beef, rice that tasted like
mashed potatoes, gravy, bread, butter,
coffee and lots Of things, I've forgotten
about. We were waited on by girls,
(Red Cross girls), from all the allied
nations, French, English, Italian, Rou-
manian and Americans.
From Basel we went to Berne and
from Berne to Geneve. At Geneve we
changed trains and went to Vechy,
France. We rode all night in hospital
trains, as we left Geneve at 8 100 p. m.
and reached Vechy at 3 100 p. m. on
Tuesday. We slept in the berths or
cots that. the wounded are transported
in and they surely are comfortable
al through Switzerland at the larger
stsiniions the people gave us cigarettes
faitN candy and at Berne and Geneve
they couldn't do enough for us. 1t was
the best time of my life, l think.
At Vechy we were sent to large hotels
and quartered for five days. We spent
81 weeks there. @.'
While at Vechy we slept in hospital
cots with mattress, sheets and pillow
cases. Talk about comfort-its differ
ent now. We were on the road from
| Vechy to this place for 5 days and
nights, with two days ratiOns. We
rode in box cars but did not suffer for
| hunger as the train stopped often and
we could get off to buy bread .@ <s~5s
ROte and Stacy are back in the com
pant, too. Stacy was not with us at
Rastatt-he was wounded and kept at
a German hospital. He got a machine
gun bullet through the shoulder and
can show two beautiful scars. a
had several close shaves myself
a machine gun bullet went through the
pocket Of my blouse and piece OF
shrapnel through my pack. You seem
to think / missed all of the last fight
I was in it from the Goth of September
until the 9th of October, the day was
captured. Our company came out OF
the lines with IS men-the rest killed
wounded or taken prisoners the same
time / was. We were surrounded in a
small village and they were pounding
the walls of the houses down about our
ears with light artillery and trench
mortars. No chance to fight back or
we would never have given up, its a
cinch. was more afraid of being
taken prisoner than anything else
However, they treated us pretty we'll
except in giving us fo0d-we surely
were hungry for over three weeks, until
we got to Rastatt, where the Red Cross
fed us. The non-commissioned officers
didn't have to work, so all did was tic
lay around in barracks. ROte was out
on a farm couple Of weeks, but then
the armistice was signed and he came
back. Before we got to Rastatt
though, I worked in sawmill for two
days got six cents day. Luckily haG
some money when was captured. We
could change it for marks. You car
tell how hungry I was when paid q
marks ($4.8O) for a loaf of bread thu
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