The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-02-27
Letters From and About Soldiers

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Carl Houston. son Of Mr.. and Mrs.
E. Z. HOuson. of this city, who is a
sailor aboard the U. 5. 5. cruiser
Charleston, writes interestingly Of
storm at sea on his last voyage from
France. Engaged in convoy service,
the Charleston was bringing home
l,27l doughboys.
We ran into the storm about ?. .O0
miles out, writes young Houston.
'and il was one Of the worst ever
known on the Atlantic. began TO
think We would never get to port. A
soldier standing looking oct at a glass
portfolio was all but killed when a
heavy sea smashed in the glass and
put out one of his eyes and fractured
his skull. The ship surgeons worked
over him for two hours in the operat-
ing room, ana finally saved his life.
II guess that We got out of it better
than some of the other ships though.
The Seattle and Leyiathan were DAM
aged pretty badly. Several men were
killed.
ing when We doeked. You can't imag
inc how glad the people seem to get
the soldiers back.
II do not like this transport service
very well. 1t means that | will be at
sea all summer. We were in France
four days and we will only be here at
Hoboken about SIX or seven days
guess. 1t took US 10 davs to go over
and Ia. days TO come back. so you see
we will be on the ocean about two.
thirds of the time. The ocean is all
right for pleasure trip. but do not
like to live on il. But if have to
can stand it as we'll as anybody else
until the soldiers are back. | don't
think there Is a man on the ship that
likes it, but they are all willing to
bear it. was talking to some of the
soldiers on the way back, and they all
said, Il don't see how you stand it. ,
They all say they will never cross the
ocean again if they can possibly help
it. Don't think / am downhearted or
disgusted. am just as happy tonight
as ever was in my life.
Mr.. Houston says he went ashore at
Brest, but that he is much more ready
for the United States after sight of
the old town, which he characterizes
as hundred years behind the times.
After short furlough here with
relatives and friends, Sergeant Van
Alfred Norder, son of Mrs. Louise Nor
der, left Thursday for the base hospi-
tai at Camp Lewis. where he expects
to remain for the next two months
undergoing treatment for a severe
wound sustained on October 81 while
with the 9lst Division in Belgium.
1T will be my eighth hospital since
was wounded, says Sergeant Nor
der, who was with the Saith Machine
Gun Battalion and who passed un-
touched through the severe fighting of
the Argonne Forest. IL think they
will patch me up so that | can soon be
discharged. "
Sergeant Norder, who says he does
not know how he escaped wounds in
the Argonne drive, declares that he is
very fortunate that his wound was not
worse. He was struck in the fleshy
part of the hip with the nose of three
inch German high explosive she'll The
steel nose, more than an inch in diam.
eter, which the soldier now carries as
a souvenir, made a frightful wound
THE shell nose must have been red
hot, says Sergeant Norder, and evi-
denty scared the wound, for did not
bleed any. 1t knocked me down but /
never lost consciousness. But it GER
tainly felt like had lost both legs.
"Some of the vets, who may be
found daily quoting soldiers as being
according to Sergeant Norder, "are
taking the doughboy too seriously.
Some of the men, just for the sake of
talking, are telling about how their
ventures with vim rouge and win blanc
have resulted in their opposition to
prohibition.
"But the fact Of the business is that
the average American soldier is going
to return and be just the same citizen
he was when he went away. His stay
in France is not going to change him
very much. At least that is my be-
lief, based on my own observations
And the soldier is eager to get back
home and be merged again into the
activities of civilian life This talk of
the soldier coming back and turning
the 18th amendment topsy turvy is all
just talk. =
Sergeant Norder says he crossed the
Atlantic on the way to France on
board British vessel.
II I 20 70 10 hn
returned home on a Britisher, " he
says. 81 got my fill of tea. | hope
none of my friends ever asks me to
have cup Of tea. Those Britishers
have peculiar idea of eating any.
how.
Corporal James M. Wilson, of the
United States Marine Corps, who was
at Chateau Thierry, where the Devil
Dogs made history, now writes his
former employer, X. d. Chatfield,
manager of the Mosier Fruit Growers
Union, that he is ready to return to
ranching In his letter he inquiries if
Mr.. Chatfed can direct him to a gooC
ranch place.
Il have gone through the horrors
and hell of war. writes Corporal Will
son, "and am very grateful God has
spared me- Il joined my company or
the famous Marne river, and being al
expert ritleman | was made sniper
We went in at the Chateau Thierry
front where the Marines made theil
famous stand against the hum From
Chateau Thierry We went to scissors
where went over the top in one Of
the greatest battles of the war. My
battalion was almost annihlated.
was one of the 279 that came out with
out a scratch We experienced awfu