The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1919-02-13
LETTERS FROM
OUR SOLDIERS
Cecil G. Jones, Marvin D. Turn
er and Henry r. Pearsall
Relate Thrilling Expert
ences Overseas.
Marvin D. Turner.

Marvin d. Turner, son of Mr.
/. and Mrs. Ed Turner, of nea
Mohler, went to France 81,
months ago, became a member O
the 18th Observation Balloon
Company and saw much hare
service right up to the end of tht
war. He writes Interestingly Of
his career overseas in the follow.
ING letter to Mrs. HI. w. Longe
teig, of Mohler:
Collmberj, France, Jan. 5
Dear Friend:
I received your most welcome
letter and was so glad to hear
from you. | was in Bar lie Due
on New Years and had a good
time. | am in Collmberj now.
It has been a little over six
months since I left the U. S. We
were 13 days on the ocean COM
ing over One ship caught on
fire and had to 60 back. We saw
one submarine. We landed at
Brest, France. July 13 and went
to La Courtine, France. This is
in south of Paris. We left there
the 25th Of August and went to
Toul, and thence to st. Mihiel,
where we went over the top on
Sept. II. We lost one balloon
1t broke loose and crossed over
to Germany with two men
aboard; but they are back now.
We went to Jonly, France, and
on the 28th Of Sept. went over
the top with the 91st Division.
On Oct. l we lost one balloon
under heavy shell fire going thru
ono mans land" In the after
noon we were sent back for a |
rest and stayed one week, and
then went back to the front to |
take the six balloons that had
been gassed. We were transferr-
ed to Exermont, France, where
for some time we had hard fight
ing and gas every night; and,
think, on Oct. Is we went over
the top once more, in the last
drive in the Argonne forest. We
went almost to Germany, and one
night the last shell came over.
You people may have been
happy, but | think we were moret
than happy. The mud was deep
and our nights were cold and
frosty and we could not make
fire. We could see where the
Germans had left their plows in
the fields and ran. l was talk
ing to an old French woman at
Latine, France, who had been
there since 1914 and she said
they could hear the American
guns getting louder and louder /
every day. We stayed here at
Latine till Dec. l and left for Il
Vile Sur Cousnass, and had t
Christmas dinner at Collmberj. X
I think I will be back in Moh- |
er soon; am sending you a pos
al picture of Bar lie Due. This t
)lace is not hurt from the war. | a
vent to France with 208 men, q
tut am sorry to say we nave only S
40 now. I never got hurt very 1
,ad, but you would not have i,
inown me when we came back 0
rom the front. I showed the eff s
ect Of so much gas in the water G
We had to drink, and many days +
had nothing to eat and no sleep. O
have gone for "a hours with v
ut water or food; but we are +,
aving a good time now lots to "
at and good place to sleep. Il
hats all a soldier wants. The v
ooties run races up and down il
guys back at night-some- a
ines. a
I am sending you souvenir
soldiers strap with his num- Il
er on it. The gunners wear this n
trap, and I think if it could talk m
would tell you more than n
Duld possibly tell in this letter. r
I will close for this time. Tell el
Il in Mohler hello for me. =
Your with best wishes, ir
M n Turner