The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-01-10
LETTERS FROM THE
BOYS in ARMY CAMPS

Mrs. Paul Ivcrson is in receipt OF
letters from her son BENJAMIN Iver-
son, who is in France:
Longwy, France, November q
191S.-My Dearest Mother: 1t GER
tainly seems fine to be able to write
most anything and tell you about all
our experiences, and am looking for
ward to a suitable time to write and
tell you everything. The enclosed
citation i'm regard to our actions OF
the thirty days preceding the armi-
stice will explain more fully than
could write. Our part was the con
struction of the bridges across the
Meuse river. Will explain more
fully later. Then we advanced as
told in part three.
At the present time we are about
seven kilos from Belgium and five
kilOs from Luxembourg in a fine city
named Langwy. OF course this city
has been under German control for
over four years ard must say they
had things pretty fine. If you could
see us in "chow" line. First comes
sauerkraut, picked beets, picked
onions, etc.
From now on will try and keep you
informed as to my exact wherea-
bouts ard you can expect a full ac-
court of, my experience over here.
| suppose some of the boys are all
ready coming home, but l will say
f,,., No hot >f hot
would rot take thousands of dollars
for my experiences over here at the
frort. Have seen active service and
real service on the following fronts,
ST. Die sector, st. Mihiel front, (this
was the place l met Spice on the
night before We went over with the
tanks or the first morning of the
drive); Argonre sector of the Ver-
dun frort ard last on the Meuse sec
tor. Will explain ir detail our duties
on each ore.
l am more than a little worried
abou: all the sickness you are hav-
ing about home, ard only hope that
you will escape getting it.
Well, mother. | am more than anx-
iouo " iCSCiNS seul hlot iSltSl III
lowing the armistice for l know just
how happy everyone will be.
Am happy and in good health, SO
do not worry about me. We are
only hoping that we will be with you
as soon as possible.
With love ard best regards to
everyone. Your loving sor, Benja-
min. s
Lorraine, France. Frontier near
Annetz. December 6, 191S.-My
Dearest Mother: Well, mother again
l have time for my usual few lines
which l will admit were few and far
between during the last forty days of
the war, but after you will have read
the following l know you will appre-
ciate the situation we were in at
times as regard to writing.
l do not know how long it will be
before l can again be with you be-
cause our division has been assigned
to the army of occupation" This OF
course will make it some longer be
fore we can get back, but neverthe-
less We will have had the chance OF
seeing much more country at the
present writing l am on border guard
between France ard Lorraine near
the German town of Annetz.
promised to give you a brief out
line of where l have been and what
have done since I left the United
States, SO will try-We left the
United States on March 16 on the
steamer Ordune, Concord liner, and
landed at Liverpool, Eng, on April l.
We stayed in England about week
going to Southampton on the morn
ing of April Z. Of course Oil our TRIP
from Liverpool to Winchester we
had the opportunity of seeing parts
of Birmingham, Oxford and Other
cities while enroute. Onr stay in
England was certainly very pleasant
and enjoyed the country, people ant
scenery.
From Havre, France, we were tax.
en- to little inland town named
MonIigny lie Roi (near the old Ra.
nan town Of Langre) where we spent
three months in the construction Of
barracks, hospitals, etc. Being the
first YaIkS located here we certainly
had everything our way. In fact we
did not know just how nice things
really were for us until later wher
we entered the lines. The rest Of
our time over here has been spent a
the frort doing infantry work, go.
ing over with the tanks, stringins
barbwire, trench work, bridge con,
stIuctiOn ard high explosive boml
work.
We have seer real service on The
Vosges mountains, st. Die sector
| where we went over the top with the
infantry. This was the first all Amer
lean operation. OF all the fronts ant
drives have been at this was thu
worst. A French lieutenant attached
to our regiment proclaimed the bar
rage TO be the most dense and ter
rifle put over during the war; Yo,
undoubtedly have read of the capldrt
of the town of Frapelle. Well tina
was US.
We Eext made our appearance a
the s. Mihiel drive on the Thiacour
sector after six day hike through
mud and rain. 1t cehtainly was hare
grind, but leave it to this grasshop
per outfit of ours to get along. w,
arrived or the afternoon before tn,
drive and we worked up to midnigh
getting a path through the wire ant
trenches for the tanks to get across
Of course you can imagine this wa
\ inh in, oh n