Arizona republican., 1919-03-20
BATTLE EXPERIENCE RELATED BY JEPS0N,
 FORMER PHOEV|C|AN

Friends of W. Jepson, a former Phoenix boy who has seen a years service in France and Germany. have received a long letter from him telling in highly interesting way of his ex- perience in battle in the great war. The letter follows:
 Differdange. Luxemburg,
 Feb. 15, 1919. Dear Friend:
 l received your letter today-the one dated December 12. It is the only let ter l have had from you since the first of the year, and I was beginning to worry very much because of the flu. It has claimed almost as many victims as the Huns, and has been among the soldiers too. Our first sergeant died today in the hospital at Ash, from it and nearly every one of us had a touch of it.
 So Hugh is disappointed he did not get to come across. He should be very thankful and would be if he had an fdea of what war means. I have seen men piled up like so many old logs in trench. The ditch was over 900 feet long and about three feet deep-and piled full of wounded and dead. Mostly Germans, and some of our own brave boys who tried to cross and were cut down and bursting shells were falling all around us, men were pleading for mercy, others cursing to their last breaths even some brave boycs trying to bind the wounds of their comrades while they bled to death themselves Others choked with chlorin gas while some were blistered as bad as if hot water had been poured over them. Sc l am more than glad he never saw the l terrible things 1 have. No man ever described the lower regions in terms one half as terrible as war is. If ii was just meeting your man face tC face and fight it would not be so bad but those guns throwing bursting | shells like a big charge of dynamite and when they explode throw pieces i of steel in every direction killing anC wounding all whom they strike l never thought l could come througf ! those, days-never dared even to pra, l for such. All l could do was to asl 1 the Lord to spare me to dress a few 1 more of the wounded and relieve then l in their misery I was badly scared ] d first-don't believe any man wht i says he wasn't-but one can get useC to any condition. and so I soon go i control of myself. We never stoppe, ! only long enough to gather the mel together and forward again. leavin- behind the dead on the field wher they fell. The wounded were picke, 1 up as soon as possible but at that 1 some lay for hours on the field befor help could come.
 l found a poor German lad-a la, not over r at the most who had lai three days with a foot off and a bulle through his shoulder, almost starve and pitiful sight l dressed hi wounds and some of the boys wer carrying him in when a shell struc the stretcher killing the German Every day we met just such sight and we had to keep pushing on. for tn Germans strong point which we brok when we swam the Mouse river an stormed up the hills on the German side. It was the devils last stan and they could hold their ground n longer We won hy sticking to it, da night and not letting them rest I'll Americans could stand.a longer strai than the Huns and broke the mora [ Vl Ait ksiArfl ~ ny buN tft luiF W q the price we paid in human lives TT | half can never be told.
 I am sending you a bill in Frenc money. IL is local money. no good e, cept in its own district You get mono in one town and then when you go another vour money is as they sa pa bon" or no good. shall try ar have a few different kinds of m6nt [ l.. worth a fifth of a cent l. is pewt, coin which a hole in the center ar is called a ccntime We have bil from ! cents to s20 which is a hun dred francs. Here in Lrxemburg. Y get French. Italian. Belgian, Englis Luxemburg and German coin, so keeps one guessing how much or ho little he has.
 Let me know if you got the posta I sent from Aaix-les- Baines. I se quite few of them also that all pi low top I carried all over France. am sending a citation of the r dinard division we got lhe here in t company. It tells where we were al what we did You can tell where ' were every day in France. Now ' do not ramble much, I hope our ne l move Will ne TOT t1ODUhe11, J. -. A.
 Tell Bin I would try to bring him German helmet if they let me. Tn are not so heavy as ours, only wei about two pounds. I have a ring made from g. 3-mark coin and sor little things such as odd buttons. queer little watch and small things can carry around with me. l will SCI and bring all can but fear they " be pretty strict on anything of COT mercial value. This is not the land the free, you know. and a person h to watch out what he tries to car away-even if it does belong to him
 Well I must close now as I go aw to school tomorrow to study Brouney rifle and its different par ren't know where I will he after tn but will write as soon as I get the and send some postals.
 Your friend.