Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-01-15
.ssdME or THE HUNS
WERE OUT OF LUCK
Lawrence Riggs Tells About the
Germans Holding Up Their
Hands. Those Who Didn't
He Says Were Out of
Luck ...
MET OLAF HAMRE
OVER IN FRANCE,
Told Him About His Brothers Death,
Which Was the First News He
Had of 1t.
Somewhere in France
Dec. Is, 1918
Dear Sister:

Dec. 10, 1918
Dear Sister:
Just a few lines to let you know
am o. K. and hope you all are the
same. All can say is that / am
having itRgood, and just doing moth.
ing at present. In this camp they do
not do much and don't know when
am going back to my ola company
All know of them is that they are
still at the front and in Germany. Ha,
the old Rainbow is sure made up of
some hard fighters and they sure
have the name too. And believe me
| sure will be glad when | get back
to it. To be away from my company
lis just like being away from home,
Say, just think, | ran into Even
Hamre's brother, you know him, and
he didn't know that his brother was
killed. He was telling me that he
had been sick and in the hospital for
long time, and that he was not in
good health, but that he was going
to come out alright in time. He sure
did look sick. Believe me he sure did
not like 1t when he found out that
his brother was gone, but was glad
to know that his brother was good
man, and that he died fighting for
the right and good. am going over
where he is in a few days to see him.
He is Just little ways from where
l am. He was sure glad to see me.
All you can hear is of going home
Believe me they are all talking OF
home. And in this camp some OF
them have been in France 80 days.
Say 1t sure gets me, they hould have
been with us, getting ready soon to
lspend another Christmas in France
They sure would think of going home
Believe me there was time when
didn't have time to think of home
and when | did have time / was
thinking was / ever going to SEE
home They never did get that chance
and / am glad to know that an
sometime going to get to go home
and that it was the good Lord whit
! made it so. And say that if q MAJ
can get by and go all the way tina
the Lord sure is with him. JUS
, think of the boys from DEBORAH wh'
, lare not going to come home. 1t Ii
sure hard to think of them. viii
never forget where they lay sleeping
But such is war and it looks like 1T!
, !all over for some time and | thinl
THAT they all have had all the wa
they like for sometime, and whei
. war comes again will be right there
You know there, for there is goot
place to be when war Is on. Wei
at that I am glad to say that | came
out and did ali / could like man
and / think that all the men wht
were in the fight all think the same
as l know they were game and some
are going to come out all 0. X. ant
get home. Believe me / would no
take good lot for what | have seer
and been in and / would not Civ
cent for another one, and when
get back I can tell and will sure d.
some talking. I can tell some goot
things have seen and some not 81
good, but it will be most all war
When it comes to telling you mucf
about France / could not say much
as / have not seen much OF it, JUS
the war part, for we never did sta!
in good towns, and if we could SEE
:. ANYTHING it would be night, so w
could not see much, for most every
thing we did would be at night. VIZ
would walk at night and sleep II
the day. / will never forget the nigh
of July 8. That sure was good one
Ian we did was walk all night ane
lmost of the morning of the Fourth
So after all we sure spent the Fourt'
in a good place and i'm a good way
spent most of the day sleeping ane
resting and they all did the same
We were up, at the front and In th'
front line trenches and you remem
her in July the Hun was going u
make that big drive and it sure was
nice to think that he was c'nins
most any time, but 1t was some'ini'
until he did come, but he was com
ing and all we could do was JUS
\ stay. and say the morning o. the Il
The sure did, and say the big snow
was on. Guns all working good ahe
Ibelieve me they did have some guns
and all that night they aid not star
over until just daylight, AMI we SURE
aid let them have it, and all we saw
was Germans coming for a long Tune
and il was not long until we saw
them coming in tanks. | sure dil
think that We cou' not hold them
could see seven big German 'ank'
Iclming out in front II us, bat oal
guns sure did some good work anc
thew put the tanks on the bum, and