Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-01-08
Letters From
Local Soldiers

From Sergeant Nathan Margarcttcn.
Dear Julia and Morris:
p 1t will interest you to know thai
CRU division was in LIST Corps of the
first American army and that we o
the praise of all the highest military
authorities. Pershing included.
The capture of Grand Pre-, which
was accomplished by the s11th, was
considered one OF the turning points
in the entire campaign. L passed oven
this battlefield about twelve hours af-
ter our advancing infantry and shall
never forget the sights l saw there.
1t is hard to believe that it was the
boys from our own town. boys who
were born and brought up with U.S., it
was such fellows, who with uncon-
querab1e determination fought the
savage hun. who aside from natural
advantage afforded by the heights
they were on, Were also all armed
with machine guns. Yes these same
fellows so well known to us. BEAT
the enemy so decisively thai they were.
forced to retreat some thirty kilome-
tiers.
1t is hard for anyone to realize
the feeling h a comes over man when
he does not know what it mea 20
have the air all around thick with
poisonous gas, so thick that you dare
not removo your mask for hours, even
though you are choking for lack of
breath; nor to have enemy airplanes
flying above you and dropping their
hells, which open up the earth and
blast everything for 1000 feet or
more; nor what it means To live in a
land of darkness where the least X
of light means possibly your
finish: and to walk all day. quite Of
ten with a pack weighing seventy
pounds or more with but one meal or
two a day. and this only hard tack
and bully beef, and then to halt at
night and go to sleep in a puddle of
and then have it rain a little
during the night, and as a rule
be awakened at l or . in the norm
ing and get orders to march again.
go without water two weeks at a
time, was nothing unusual. These are
only a. few of the hardships we all en-
dured. And then you can't imagine
what it means to pass over a battle
field and view the remains of those
whose existence meant as much
to you as your own Those boys
you had learned to love as a
and those same fellows thai !
died in order that we might live. No
body knows except those who with-l
stood hardships of this kind together,
those who JARED the same blanket, |
carried one anothers pack when
~ nv tai ~ ~ hCbSSi l
those who shared their meals togeth-
sr only those know that went
$3.50 with everything they had.
Love and regards from
NATHAN. |
From Corporal John A. Do
bermillcr.
Dear Home Folks
1t has been a month and a half !
1 wrote last, but what / have |
been through in hat time is some
thing to remember. |
l was mp at the front for thirty-one !
days under shell fire and machine |
gun bullets and to think | came out
without a scratch is sure a miracle. |
[ believe h Lord was with me.
Our division and company has made
wonderful record. Out Of the thir-
cen companies our company was
picked to enter the city of Luxen-
BURG, which is "A great honor. 7 will
ell you all about 1t in my nex letter
which I will write shortly, as I have
time to write from nCw on.
l will close to Fo On an eighteen
nile hike in+l~ Luxembourg, so will I
80 get some sleep.
Your loving son.
JOHN.