The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-01-08

IN DuI UellGNG Il WVaia Inv w ~ w
TO Germany but would much rather
90 over to the II. s. A. have seen
lots of sights over here.
haven't received my Christmas
box vet. Some of the rest of the boys
have. Have you been getting the
cards sent of places have been
am going over to see Paul tonight. He
lives in little town by the name OF
Mont Les Noble. / see him quite
often.
Well the war is over. Things are
quiet again. will try and tell few
things Of where / am. ! am living
in a little town not very far from
the front. 1t is an old place like the
other places / have been staying in
and large hills; all around the hills
are all fortified and barbed entangle-
ments. 1t is beautiful sight to get
up on the top CT the hills. You can
see 6. or 8 miles around and fields.
They don't have very big farms in this
country. about or 5 acres is big
farm. They have fields like our gar
dens, two goats and oxen is the
equipment they have, the most Of the
farmers use a shovel to pillow with;
not much like we have in<U. s. A.
haven't told you where / sleep yet.
Well. it is an cid barn with holes in
the roof big enough for an airplane to
fly into. don't have to go out doors
to see how the weather is as the rain
Genes right in on me. Oh, but |
am tough though and our feed is fine.
For breakfast nice hard tack, black
coffee. For dinner army stew, black
coffee and hard tack and supper hard
tack pudding. Sometimes meat and
coffee. / am not as fat as / was
when / first came over. We go for
a hike in the forenoon and drill in the
afternoon, Wednesdays and Saturday
afternoons off. We took regular
trips Yesterday. / thought we were
started for home by the way we start
ed out. Well, / hope to get started
that way soon as have seen about all
of France.
Father has bought Shotwell's tim
Der. Well, hope / can get back and
see>it through. | have been getting
letters quite regularly lately. Re-
ceived Johns and yours and one from
Jim, Vera. haven't much to tell
about France as | have got my fill
of it. would like to send few
things from different places but did
not have a chance. | can't carry
them as / have about all / can carry
around now. That is when a fellow
carries rs or 100 lbs. for Is or 20
miles on his back that is about what
our packs weigh. / could get some
German helmets little ways from
where / am but they're not what /
would like. There is factory that
makes them in Toul. / wouldn't give
10 cents for all the souvenirs over
here.
You can see by the cards what it
looks like around here. There are
some of our fellows getting a pass.
don't believe / care much to go If /
can't go to old Ireland. There are
certain places would rather go back
to u. S. A.
got four Banner News; there sure
are a lot of boys over here. Well,
hope it won't be long before / get
back home. We are not doing much
now, only drilling and cleaning streets
for the frogs have, most all the towns
cleaned / believe now.
/ went for "a little walk Saturday
afternoon and dropped into a cafe and
who do you suppose Isssw, there sat
Paul Spicer, Say was surprised.
Another fellow, Jay Horton, he was
transferred in our company. Well,
/ suppose you had big Thanksgiving
dinner. / was X. p We had some
nice pork that tasted pretty good to
us. Twill be able to eat most any
thing when / get back. We have
lots Of hard tack and bull beef. The
band is playing at the Y so / will have
to go. The boys are waiting for me.
Will close for this time, from your
Pvte. Rollin Donovan. =
A. E. F., A. p. o., No, 789.
Floyd Pierson, local boy, writes
to his mother, Mrs. Florence West,
Dec. 10, 1918.
NV Dearest Mother and Sister:
i thought / would write you again
today. 1 haven't very much to do
as it is so rainy. l was thinking of
you folks this morning as ! always
am. Today is a big day in Belding,
pay day. / wish / was there to draw
my check with the rest. What a
time we would have this evening.
just got through with dinner a few
minutes ago. We had rice, macaro-
MIA, bread and coffee. I am still in
the camp was telling you of. Hope
10 get OUT SOOn. Il JOlu you was
going to get back to my company but
it's hard to tell whether / will or not.
We hear all kinds of rumors. Some
say we will be going back to the
States but nobody knows. Mother,
am thankful and consider myself very
lucky to get out of this war alive.
can't begin to tell you of the chances
one is taking or has to take while in
the front line. l didn't realize how
much danger there really was while
up there. But now that it is all over
1 there is no use worrying about it.
feel just as good as did before and /
know / haven't lost any flesh but
when / do return home know that
have done my part in the worlds war.
Mother, you want to take good care
of yourself this winter and see that
Maud does the same. I'suppose Den
and sis. are getting along nicely and
/ hope they always do. / would like
to be with you folks this Christmas
but no chance. l tried to send you
at home little something for Christ