Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1919-02-07

VOAs LA, 4NOs ~
With Our Soldier and Sailor Boys.
CORPORAL John J. Wendl, Of Co. N.
96Oth Init. under date of Jan. 1st at
Setlengen. Germany, in q letter to his
folks, writes in part as follows:
..Weil spent New Years day in Balm
castle but didn't have my photo taken
N the man was too busy. We had the
band play at midnight and every body
vas up and making some noise. Ho~'s
the weather over there. It's very
warm here now. The river Aoselle is
nsoded and the trains don't run: The
trdkk is close to the bank so it don't
take much water to flood it. Tm send
ING YOU = letter we all got from our
General it may interest You to read
what be has to say of al the boys in
Z the goth Division. Are YOU all healthy?
I'm % healthy as pine stump
couldn't feel any better. wish !
could weigh myself but I haven't seen
any scales here only the little ones in
H. stores. About week ago I was at
Z movie given by the Y. n. G. A. the
fret one I've seen since We left Camp
Travis. sure enjoyed it.
can understand lot of that. Qin-
po.) they talk over here. I'll be, able
to sneak FIVE languages whenN you
sec me, hs!hal
That part of Brigadier General Nc
Alexander's letter referred to above
concerning the 36oth infantry, is as
follows: ".,s
..On September 18th you had your
first fight and broke through those be-
wildering mszes Of wire and entrench-
ments called the Quarten- Reserve and
and the Western end of the notorious
Bois.le. Pretre. Indefending the South
ern portion of this wood the French are
reported to have lost $4,000 men OF
whom 1900 we're killed. The whole
Roi.. .le- Pretre was cleared in . neat
Z opsrstion by the s6oth Infantry. on
september 18th, with slight ioss-the
exploitation being carried to the Mo-
selle river. .
You advanced your lines Glove up to
{ Preny and Psguy-iur-h hoseile and took
uart in the general demonstration made
sloue the whole battle front from the
l6seelle 10. the Channel. on September
aeth Yuu were relieved on the night
of Oct 9.l0, to 60 to the Aeuse-Ar'
ges,ns Frpnt. IA ,t.3
On OCT 2srd you wore oa .hss1 ssse-
Arxouns front ard 1t fen - yonrlot to
fnsks the attack on the Freys Stellung
for the Division on Nov. lst and End
and your exploitation carried you from
Dunsur. Meuse to near the fuileries
farm. on front of seven kilometers.
This Freys stellung was the last or
eanized German defense line and where
Il reached the Meuse was the pivot or
hings on which swung the whole de-
fensive system through Northern
I France and Belgium. ;.
!. Hare at Andevsnce and ViHers.de'
yant-Dun, on . front Of four ktiome-
tae,. by . superb assault that has not
been excslled in this war for nicety OF
execution Of for ferocity of action. you
I smasbed the defensive system at its
hinges. .#- ~.
This imperilled the whole German
Army: then came the cIamor for IN
armIstice and the collapse of the war.
From Oct oath to Nov. llth the d.
vision captured twenty -one officers end
964 men of whom you (the 359th and
36Oth Rgts.) captured eighteen officers
I and 7S9 men.
The Division captured three 2l0's,
eight 1905, nine 1865. and twelve IT'S,
Of which the msjority was captured by
this brigade. -... IA
The prisoners came from eleven regl'
meuts Of infantry, seven regiments of
artillery, one sanitary Co; one signal
company and miscellaneous auxil!ariss.
us names Bois des 'Rappes, Bois
I d Bsatbeville, LIE Grande Care, An
! dssaans, Cote 2l3. Cote 32l and Will
erardevant. DUN are branded upon yopr
maloeiss. The machine gun com.
NJ - will not forget that they fired
one alsu, one hundred fifty thcussnu
rSpnas during Nov. lst and End.
HsEs is proud boast for this brig
ads-not . soldier struggled from his
regiment.
You we're always facing the enemy
and On the night before the armistice
took effect you were formed up facing
hin. ready to deliver another mighty
blow ct daylight Of that fateful morn
ing Of Nov. l1th.
/ .You have shared equally with the
best and have deserved everything.
Va, and aolfieva and | am proud of