The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-02-06
LETTER FROM GROVER YATES


- c.lTss- Winne4eele, France
Dec. Is, 1918
Dear Cousin Pearl:
! received your always welcome let
ter some time ago, but as usual kept
putting II off from day to day.
This leaves me in the best of health
with prospects OF turkey dinner l.,
a couple OF hours. SO In spite of
the mud and rain with a little snow
mixed In, we are getting along pretty
fair. No doubt you have heard OF
the mud in Flanders in Belgium. Well
we are but few kilometers from
Belgium and Flanders; in Just as
level a country, with Just as much
mud. But think our stay in this
section of France will be short
We were In Audenarde when the
armistice started on Nov. IL. Aude-
rarde is in Belgium on the Scheldt
river and is quite nice city with
two OF the finest buildings I have
seen on this side.
One of them is Cathedral. the
largest | have seen since ] landed
The otter, the City Hall, which was
bnilt in the early part OF the 10th
century: the exact date l do not 10
member. Our last engineer work of
any importance was the building OF
q bridge across the Scheldt river for
the artillery. The other bridges were
all blown up by the Germans during
their retreat. Perhaps brief diary
OF my travels since my induction in
to the army would interest you We
left Los Angeles Sept. 20. II and ar
rived CamD Lewis on Sept. 23 and
trained and drilled for nine months
Camp Lewis is the largest, best laid
out and most modern camp in the
u. S. The cantonment consists Of
$1,000 acres. II has paved streets.
electric lights. hot and cold water
and other conveniences. We en-
trained at Camp Lewis on June %
1913 and after trip through Wash
ington. Idaho. Montana. North Da-
kota.' South Dakoota. Minnesota. Wis
consin. Illinois. Indiana. Ohio. New
York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
| finally arrived at Camp Merritt after
a journey of six days. We rode in
tourist sleepers and had fine trip
all the way across the u. s.
New York is but IL miles from
Camp Merritt. and we all had a
I
I went 70 N Y. City and after taking
a look Mt the big buildings and the
lsights from the TOP of double deck
bus going down Riverside drive, went
down to Coney Island and had fine
time until time to go back to camp
spent the 4th of July getting out
fitted with my overseas euuipmen'
and loaded on the ship Armagh
on July and sailed next morning
with a flotilla of sub chasers and
cruisers escorting MS out to sea.
There. were dirigible halloons and
aerop'nnes overhead darting here
and there. always flying low. looking
| for submarines. Alter a journey OF
12 days we landed at Liverpool, Eng
land, and were encamped near there
couple Of days. Next train ride
across Eng'and arriving at South
Hampton July 90 and crossing the
English Channel next night at full
speed arriving ct Cherbrough. France
next morning, June 22-one month
from the day we left Camp Lewis.
After marches and train rides and
more marches we finally arrived a.
where we trained fo'
about six weeks. Next was more
marches and train rides and aftel
many short stops. we finally arrived
back Of our sector OF the Argonns
front We took our place on the line
on the night OF Sept. 25 and went
over at about o'clock In the morn
iug of Sept. &c. 1918. In previous
letters l believe / mentioned tha
part of the 3rd and 4th platoo1s c.
our company captured bunch o.
Germans of our own. am in the 4tf
platoon. We were on the front
days and were relieved Oct. 4th ant
went back to a so-called rest caml
and after few days were on oul
way to Belgium; detraining neal
Ypres-where the Canadians wer'
gassed by the Germans. This wa
where gas was first used in the war
The Ypres battlefield Is nothing bu
a mass Of ruins and shell holes.
noticed four mammoth tanks near til
road which were shot up. Also ;
bunch Of German artillery. Her,
was where I saw my first Germa,
Howitzer. had seen German artil
lery before in France but not How
itzers. They are big guns and I sup
, pose are hauled by tractors. Vim
Ridge and Passkendale Ridge wer
on our way and there was nothing
left standing anywhere near. Waite
is SO near the surface in that coun
try that they could dig but about
foot down and had to live In par
dugouts.
The city of Ypres is. nothing but
: mass Of ruins with not a buildin
remaining which Is not either sho
down or damaged. Ypres has beel
fine city. with all buildings bull
of brick. After more marches fror
iplace to place, we came under shel
fire again near Waregam. Finall
we reached Audenarde which I pre-
viously mentioned.
After the Armistice started tn
king of Belgium entered the city an
was entertained by an America
army band, and some one had fun
Old Glory TO the breeze from the to
of the cathedral. so It was really a