Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1919-02-14
LETTERS FROM FRANCE.

VINO IS with 20. b., bSth Eli
pineers IN France, to his sister,
NJ 3. J. NJ. Bauserman, Of Wood
stock.
Well | know you~are all glad
to know that the fl Z hting is over.
They sure did raise some -
around here, especially the
F.encl,. when we heard the news,
l happened to be in Chateauroux
that atternooil-the people were
crazy with JOY. Ever, body was
Oh the streets, men, women and
children. They cried, laughed,
shouted and So ng- such clattel !!
They would grab soldiers, walk
him around and pin red, white
and blue ribbons Oh him. The
city was wide open to the SOL
diers.
They were all here, Ameri-
cans, British, French, Italians
Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese
also soldiers FROM India and
Africa i'll their picturesque uni
forms. One could stand on the
corner and see the world e. BY
Chateuroux is the largest town
near here, having about 10000
inha bitants- is seven miles
camp. They run free train
over Tor us every Saturday after
noon and Sunday. If we want
to go any other time we pay
four cents. It is quaint old
town-very old | shon d say. Il
has three very old churches AND
part Of All old castle. The
cathedral is rather more modern
Gothic, but has some beauti
full wrought iron work, taket
from All Older cathedral. | have
been to mass there several times
The music is beautiful-all O
the choir being young boys. o.
LIST Sunday | went there to at
tend the celebration Of the re
turn Of Alsace-Lorraine. O
Course could not understand
what was said but the music wa
graud and | surely did EMO,
that, There were crowds o
people present and all were ex
cee1ingly happy.
On one of the walls there is +;
large tablet with the names o
tile city's killed III the war Cary
ed OH ii. Their friends and rela
tlves keep that part of the aisl
blocked with potted flowers am
vases Of cut flowers.
There is All old historic chate
about two miles from this G. mp
, which once belonged t. Napo
leon. 1t is said Jean d'arc wa
, once held prisoner there 70
awhile. hage not seen ii yet
but want to go next Sunday if
can get off.
The men can't talk of any
thing else now but when w
are to go home. All kinds O
bets are being made but no on
knows, Of course, sonc think w
shall go in the next few day
some think, as we are in til,
transportation corps and tina
being part of the S. O. S. tina
we are here for several month!
yet. We are always OH the x
at some kind OF work. | an
working with another regimen
now-drafting. | like this mucl
better than my old Job. | do no
have to go to work till eigl
O'Clock and get off at $3.50. The
only thing hated to give up III
stripes. but being mess sergeant
is worse here than i'll the States
l had to give it up to keep this
| pldce-of course | cou1 have
| kept sergeant if l did not prefer
this work. l haye a Capt. WIG
is the best i'll the army we think
we are all devoted to him
There is large aviation ca mp
here hundreds Of planes, dozens
OF hangers and machine shops,
it being one OF the largest camps
in France. There are dozens 10
DIT one time doing all sorts of
stunts. | saw two run together
when they were up about 1000
feet. The tail of one and the
wing Of the other were knocked
off. Of course both fell. One
man jumped from his plane as it
was falling, and when lie struck
the ground lie fell on Il rail on
the track, cutting bis head eu-
tirely off. This happened the
day after we got here. | lItv e
had one ride. 1t is a wonderful