The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-01-09
SOLDIERS LETTERS
4 .scr From Corporal A. A. Bse~ a-ss
~ the second Balloon Co. 4. Z. T..
se his Father. Y. II. Bro~nsos Of
Arlington,
Mercy f< Haui, France.
November 23. 1919.

mercy i< fSuss ft"hsNs
November rs. 1919.
Dear Father
Il seems good 10 be able to let you
know where I am once more. The
ban on what We could write has been
removed 30 We can tell where we are
and lots Of things we never could BE-
fore. Probably you haven't . map
with this little town on II. but II you
win draw q straight line from Verdun
70 Luxumburs and put dot In the
middle you have Il exactly, little
town on the Grams river. BY the time
you get this ! will be on the Rhine.
probably at Coblenz or near there. All
Of the old divisions and balloon COM
panies vho have seen the most active
service on the front have the honor or
following up the Boch TO occupy the
territory till peace is settled. Don't
know when we will be home but think
we will be among the first as we were
the first over. There were only about
lAO 900 ahead Of us) and we have been
on the front all the time since Feb
ruary. II would take a book TO tell
any part OF what we have been
through and seen. All the little
things we never could write about be-
fore but | will just give you'a little
sketch OF where we have been and
then tell you the interesting things
when | get home ! guess ! told you
about the trip across to Liverpool,
Southampton and arrived at LcHavre
December 2sth We stayed there ina
British camp till January and nearly
froze. | speak of that for it was the
only time | ever really suffered from
the cold. New Years Day we left
there and the third arrived at Care,
little town about 20 miles south OF
Reunes. We went out afoot four mNes
to Camp Coetquidan, the old camp OF
Napoleon Thirds armies. 1t was a
good place and we had stone barracks.
Here VIC got our equipment, trucks,
balloon equipment, etc. Eleven trucks,
winch, motorcycles, touring car and ~
or 30 tons OF equipment. We built a
balloon bed and put up the first Ameri-
can balloon in France. We stayed
there and practiced with real artillery
till February 23rd when we loaded Oh
the train and the 26th arrived at Toui.
We had no more than set foot out OF
the car when we saw a Boeh plane
overhead with shrapnel bursting all
around Il. That was our FIRST glimpse
of war and from that day till the
armistice was declared we were IN II
all the time. Toul was quiet sector
then and stayed no till the battle Of
schieprcy. That wis about the only
excitement we had there but we got
our practice regulating fire on Mont
Lee lust in front of us and on the
towns from Flirey 10 Theoucourt Just
a few rounds a day TO let them know
We were there. June 9th we left
Toul and went TO Villens Sur Marne,
little town near Charly, southwest OF
Chateau Thierry. That was the point
Of the German drive and the nearest
big point TO Paris, and a hot place.
The shells were raining over our heads
in thousands trying TO get the bridges
across the Marne about half a mile
back Of US. We had only had ball
loon UP two days when the Boon
came over and burned it. The OBJ
scryors came down all right and we
put up another the next day and got
in some good work A day or two
later they came again in FIVE French
spads and sailed around long time
and no one suspected till they turned
on our balloon and burned il and then
chased the observers down, trying 70
get them. and then at us on the ground
tin our machine guns got too hot tor
them. We put up another and kept on
working. July 2o-2i the drive started
and we went with il in short stages up
through Vouvard, Bouresches, Epieds,
and then to Cherry, little town just
back Of Fismcs which was our obJec-
tive. A few days later we lost No .
and August 18th left Cherry and went
to Coureclles, little burg near La
Ferte Sons Fouarrc, where we stayed
til August 10th. While there ! went
TO Meaux. The only place Of any size
| have been in over here. We went
from there back to the Toul sector to
Trimblecourt and from there 10 Grise-
court and when the drive started We
went to Marncy Just 10 the left OF
Point Mousson. Here we lost No =
and then pu, up another farther ahead
towards Thiacour, when this line was
straight. We left there and Sept. Ath
arrived a, Clcrmont en- Argonne. We
STAYED with this drive till the finish
from Clcrmont TO Neville. Cheppy,
Charpentry oos, No S hcre) Apen-