Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1919-02-18
Soldiers Letters

Briey. France, Dec. ?. lglS-Dcar
Brother: | wrote you on the llth OF
November but have been so busy
and on the move since that have been
unable to write again til today We
came here on the 24th from St Mi
hel Have been allowed TO write
our location since then. 80 man
aged 10 drop papa his Christmas let
ter that no much was printed about.
You can locate Briev by finding Yer
dun on the map. We are about 10
kllometers (25 milcs) northeast Of
that city. The Germans once had
this city, but have gone.
We are now allowed TO tell you
something OF our travel coming over,
which has been impossible before
because we were up in the war
zone. We left Upton early In the
morning OF August %. by rail to
Brooklyn. There we took the ferry
20 Hobnken, down East river around
the south end OF Manhattan island.
up the Hudson. and went from the
ferry to tle'bIg ship tho same morn
ing. II was nice. big white ship,
500 feet long, an old English ship,
and there we're 4 800, OF us aboard
besides the crew. on the afternoon
Of the 30th we left the pier II was
a nice day for our start. but when
dark came on and land was nowhere
TO he seen, only our companion ships
In sight, tho boys grew very quiet
and solemn. took last long look
al the statue OF Liberty
Sailing was good at first, but about
the fourth or tifth day out n storm
struck us and the waves ran high.
And sick. gee; but was not by my
GH1fr NJ faFfutplN fnI tho fiCh Tht
rest of the.voyage was good We had
canteen and newspaper was
printed on board giving "a the wire
less news each day. We received tho
baseball returns from the @orld
series. which made the fans happy.
For | Z days more we sailed and on
the 18th Of September, about y. m,
we sighted land and you can guess
how glad we were: our ship was
the hest and largest of the convoy,
but the sea ride was getting old.
about Q sub chssers met us As hours
out and guarded US In. and the
cruiser and torpedo hoats went back
20 the states. We went into camp
At rrest. France. at . a, m. Septem-
her IL, but did not unload until the
next day. Friday, the l3 we went
nut to the old stone barracks built
by Napoleon. three miles north OF
town. Had to move into tents as the
camp was fun up. Brcst has about
100000 souls II isu built like all
French cities, houses OF stone all
close together, with narrow streets,
and the first thing n person secs on
entering the city is their beautiful
s'eeple. The best help In this war
was their fine roads Of stone, smooth
as a floor, with large elm or poplar
trees at intervals all alonr
After three days at lircst. We were
taken 10 lie Mons. where we received
our gas masks and helmets. lie Mons
is about as large az Brest only
much prettler. having nice shade
trees and parks We then went east
To Iongres, and there we were at
iached TO a base hospital, No, %.
and our best record was 5000 sick
and wounded I'm five days. Boys
from the front mostly from Texas
and Oklahoma, hut | didn't know any
of them. After three weeks here ""
lttt for ChalonS farther north. This
city had once been In German hands
and when we arrived thcre tho line
was only four Klomctcrs north and
was wheSe could see the French
b-lnch guns fire and also see the
.'NHN " Al' lUltNliN anu an RiN'l'NF
we were up and back several times
TO the front. There we saw the wire
"n'anglements and shell holes OF tho
liindenhurE line You would Won
der how our boys went through.
Next we went east by rail to St
Mihiel This city Ia we'll known as
our boys held their greatest baltic
mere, We were at the city, Vdgc,
on the banks Of the Meusc ST. Mi
hiel Is n city equal In size 10 Brcst.
had two large military academies,
ont these ARE almost a complete
wreck. The French lost $4,000 try
ing to take Dead Mans hill ana push
IN" Huns out, but failed. our bows
came along and took the city with
HIght loss We had TO use trucks
when we lcft there the 2i Took SO
trucks md 20 ambulaucca We left
ehout 4 y. m. go werc unable TO sec
N"rdun as we came through This
CITY whore we are now has about
10000 souls, and Is IN very h!lly
country. Your brother.
CHESTER A. KOONS,
Evac, Hosp n IS. A T. +.