The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-01-04
dinner now as the car may be after
me at any time.
Arlou Beicium Nov 81

where / started this letter This Is
the best town ! have been in outside
OF Paris. You should see how. the
people of this country welcome us.
Words cannot express how glad they
are 10 be free from the Germans. We
are In a private home and they treat
us like a king. Tonight they are out
with torch lights. and are singing
songs as they march along the streets.
cannot write any more tonight as
I'm going to bed. We must get up at
5 o'clock. We're going into Luxem-
burg, tomorrow.
Mersch, Luxembourg, Nov. %.
I'll write few lines from here and
mail IL right away. We have done
some moving the last few days. Mon
day l was in France, Tuesday and
Wednesday in Belgium, and now I'm
in Luxembourg.
The people here are just as happy
to be free as they were in Belgium.
This is very beautiful country and
have never seen any finer roads in
my life.
Well, / guess this will be all for
now. This is very brief letter about
this wonderful trip we are on, but
I'll write more when we get settled.
l expect we will be at our destination
in a week anyway, then I'll have more
time to write.
/ hope this finds you all well and
happy. / am 0. k. and enjoying every
bit OF the trip. With all my love,
Your son,
PIE. BELTRAN FLOOD.
Co. c. 117th Fld Bat. Sig corps.
Beltran also enclosed the appended
letter written by his sergeant to the
latter's people in Kansas City, copy
of which was given to every man in
the III Field Battalion Signal Corps.
Beltran feels that. while it's alright
to give Kansas City her dues, 1t is
also well to remember that the Mich
igan boys were also theresand doing.
The sergeant's letter follows:
Hdqrs 42nd Division Rainbow Di-
vision, Div. Signal Office, November
10, 1918.
Dear Folks:
Well, the election is over and Bill
Hohenzollern has been defeated in his
race for world dominion. All sec
tons have been heard from except a
few outlying precincts near Spa, but
II is expected that they will vote 'er
straight" Ii was a landslide for the
ticket of Freedom and Right, which
was supported by the Allies General
Foch, the campaign manager, deserves
great deal OF credit for the way he
put things over on Bill. The cam
paign was very vigorous and the
boys went down the line for every
thing advocated on our ticket. The
Rainbow division carried the river
wards around Sedan. Bits cohorts
stuffed the ballot box with lead, iron
and gas, but our boys were at the
polls early andt late and stopped 9
great many repeaters.
Last reports are that Bill is pretty
tired and has retired 10 the land Of
wooden shoes and tulips. Ii is ru
mored that he may start butcher
shop. Karl may have to go TO worl
II the old man turns him down. Wher
Bill signed his REIMBURSEMENT h,
said he hoped II would be for tn,
benefit OF Germany. God knows tina
any change at all over there would
be for the better.
Those OF us who have been in
for so long can dardly realize that /
Is finished. 1t is hard 20 change with
in a few hours from shells ant
bombs to sunshine and JOY. There Il
that questioning feeling around tn
heart OF each of us: us it reall!
over?' But to see these French kicl
and squeal and throw hand grenadet
at each other in their wild deliriun
OF sudden happiness you certainly ar,
led to be lleye that something i
finished Or else IS getting a goo,
start. AS you have read in the news
papers, this division has been in tn,
line longer than any other American
division in France. We went into tn
line near Luneyille in the middle
February. There we were under tn
command OF the French. On April
we moved to Baccarat. where we tool
over an entire divisional sector 70
ourselves-the first American division
10 do this. We remained in this sec