The diamond drill., 1919-02-15
rR0n -oUR BoYs.-


! just happened to be scouting thru
some old letters today and l came
across a letter from Mac with your
address In IL, so / decided to take a
shake for myself and drop you few
lines.
Notice my present location? We
are located in a little town a short
distance out of Coblenz and are max
ing ourselves completely at home for
the period of our stay in this place
Haven't <y idea as to how long we
will be here before the order to pack
for home comes, but we'll sure be
ready to ramble when 1t does arrive
We had HI OF a long hike getting
to this place, believe me. The papers
stated that the u. S. troops came on
by train--but not this second division
we hiked, doughboys. artillery and
marines. We all hiked and enjoyed
the scenery immensely. We started
from Beaumont, southeast OF Sedan
and hiked up through Belgium by way
of Steney, Montmedy, Vision, Arlon
and then through Luxembourg into
Germany. We laid over week in
Luxembourg before we formally en-
tered the "Old Sod" Some OF our
stops from then on were: Gerolstein,
Niewwiel and this place which / be-
lieve is Wallendorf.
Met lots OF English, French and
Italian prisoners who had been re-
leased and were hiking back to
France. Maybe the people in Bel
gium were not glad TO see u.s.
They weren't 50 enthusiastic In
Luxembourg. but here in Rineland the
civilians treat us very we'll indeed,
considering that we were lighting
them just month ago. The people OF
Germany have very little food and
suppose the u. S. will have to come
across with something to keep their
ex-soldiers from starving.
| don't mind seeing their ex-soldiers
pretty thin. but 1t got my goat to see
the little kids get to looking hungry.
We are not allowed to buy any
thing In the way OF foodstuff from
them and they cannot take anything
from us. even as gift. They are
good to ss though, and in the hous ,
whore We are billeted they have treat
ed as ine.
Well, / suppose you are putting In
about ten hours a day stuffing gas in
to 75e and wishing you were home
Well, I'm ready TO pull the pin on this
job and get back to the woods again.
Well, I've got TO 20 on guard, SO
you'll have to be satisfied with these
few scribblins' till the next time
Yours,
PTE. j. BEMIS,
Bait II 18th Artillery
Christmas Day in France
Chateau de la Roche,
Dec. 25, 1918
Dearest Mother and Dad:
How are you this fine Christmas
morning? | can hardly realize / am
so far away from home-the first time
in my life. and nope It will be the
last
We have no idea when we will be
shipped back to the states; we have
been here for about a month without
a single thing to do but run around
and spend our money. We have not
been getting very good eats. always
have plenty because have got Beau
coup Franchise" today for dinner. We
are going to have corn beef for they
said they could not get any turkey.
Well 1 don't eat any. The truth OF
the matter Is the old men In the com
pany had big feed last night, SO they
don't care whether we have anything
today or not. I'll starye before I'll
eat any OF that beef. It's the rottenest
tasting stun ever put in my mouth
There are no protestant churches
around here, so l did not go to mid
night mass; most everybody is Catho-
lie here in France. All OF the churches
are AT least one thousand years old,
and they have the original fixtures
that are very interesting to inspect
original oil paintings that are price
less--gold and silver goblets and all
kinds OF crucihxes.
A telegram just came In for the
major. Maybe II is to evacuate the
chateau. / hope so. for / won't be
satisfied until we are all back in the