Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Interesting Letter From
Joe O'TOOle in German,
Bernschied Germany,
June l, 1919.

Dear Mother:
Received your letter a few days
ago and was sure glad to hear
from you and the folks again. |
am glad to hear that everybody is
we'll and happy.
Tomorrow is the big day for the
second division. Last year on
this day the division began the
first real scrap" that they had
ever taken part in since they were
organized. The day will be hol-
iday for all. There will be no rev.
ellie nor formations of any kind.
At Hausen will be held big
field meet, and all the contestants
will be from the 5th regiment. The
other regiments will also have
something of their own in the line
of athletics. The grease balls"
otherwise known as X. P.s (kit-
chen police) are going to hand
out an extra good chow for din
ner. Good eats are not very plen-
tiful in this company, so this will
be quite treat for US.
am sending clipping of a
newspaper. He has the right idea
regarding the treatment handed
to the volunteer divisions over
here. He is not quite right about
the date the tide of war was turn
ed, but the fact that he is 3rd
division man and writing in the
paper of that division excuses
him. The 3rd always has been
sore at the End because it got the
credit of stopping and starting
the Huns back from Paris on the
5th and 9th of June, 1918. The
3rd was in reserve of the End and
didn't do any of the fighting. Of
fetal reports show the 3rd had
one battalion of machine gunners
at ChateauThierry, but they only
held the town and didn't do any
of the driving. In the fighting of
Belleau Woods the 7th regiment
of infantry, 3rd division, took over
a small front that had been held
back by two battalions of mar
ines. The Germans made coun-
ter attack on the 7th infantry
which drove them back quite a
bit The marines were put back
into the lines and retook ground
lost. This was the first American
unit to retreat before German
attack. | think the 3rd division
had better pipe down" before
somebody proves to them that the
End division did save Paris, and
start the Germans toward the
Rhine.
The third army showed these
Heinies what would happen if
they don't sign peace. The sec
ond division artillery put over a
lively barrage about ten o'clock
one night. 1t had them thinking
that the Yanks had been turned
lose. We had general alarm
just after the guns stopped and
this sure did get the Heinies'
goats. When they saw us beat
ing it for our position with gas
masks and helmets, and the COM
bat wagons and all made ready to
shove forward at few minutes
notice, they thot we were off for
sure. We had orders to keep
them off the streets. A few got
brave and started to roam around
but those that got too brave prob
ably aren't alive to tell about it
now. And, from now on, if |
judge the Heinie right, he will
stay inside when there is gen
eral alarm given. This bunch is
sure peeved because they aren't
going home, and all on account
of the peace not being signed.
From now on, until we know when
we are going to leave, the Huns
had better "stand from under" if
they want to get along with us.
Some guys sure can throw the
bull. Just listen to the guy that
tells about his experiences in the
clipping. He sure must have had
a wonderful imagination to think
of all that buck. He was on the
front once and got wounded, all
right, but after that he fought the
"battle of Paris" He was sta
toned at the same hotel l was in
Paris. Was there when hit the
city and still there when | left.
Without doubt, Europe did treat
him fine, for he was in Paris most
of his time in France. Any intel
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