The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-02-06
8 X X \ X X y
SOLDIER BOY LETTERS
From Harry o. Snyder.

From Harry o. Snyder.
lover the Rhine" Harchheims
Germany, Dec "a, 1918.
Editor Reporter and Friends
Well this Merry Christmas, eve.
will write a few lines to let yot
know l am feeling fine and as tn
| have seen several of the boys, let
tiers in The Reporter, so thought
would drop a line as ! find 1t I'M
possible to write personally to every
body. l have had quite trip since
| left the U. S. A., in fact, more
sravHi'n DO. mai After we landed in
France, September 25th, we were
transferred from the o. M. c. to the
Motor Transportation Corps and at
tached to the field artillery we
supplied them with ammunition
during the last big drive; moved
around the Yerdun front; was G also
FORESTS and the Metz front. We
went very close to the front and
naturally had some very exciting
trips, which would be impossible to
relate in letter. After the arm
istice was signed we were transfer.
ed to the 3rd army and have spent
the last month moving into . Ger.
saw lots of beautiful scenery. we
the prettiest country in Germany.
We crossed the Rhine river at Cob
LEM, Dec. 18th; it is very beauti-
ul rIeE We crossed sre on the S e4g
about two kilos below Boblenz, but
still very close to the river. Some
pretty good sized ships come up the
river but no ocean liners, and take
it from me, those ocean liners are
what we are all looking for We
are billeted in the homes of the civ
ilians here, two or three soldiers IN
They will do anything to make us
comfortable and that is quite a
treat to soldier. ain staying
with baker. He served in the
Germany army and navy seven years.
IIe tells us that four people are al
lowed only one loaf of bread every
seven days. He also showed me the
wife for week and it would only
make decent meal for two people:
They live mostly on potatoes, and
soap--they haven't any. Everything
is very old fashioned They work
oxen altogether around here. l
visited one of the old forts the 9TH
er day; it is Just across the ,? river ;t
would be hard place to take. 1t
is now occupied by American sol
diers. ! saw them coming in; it
holds 10000 men with all conven-
fences. Our organization is having
a concert and some boxing bouts to-
morrow afternoon. Also roast
pig for dinner, SO we won't have a
across acr the Rhine. Well hoping to
coo Leon soon | will close,
Pvt. Harry o. Snyder,
Dec. "a, 1918.
Dear Brother, Family and all the
Folks: Will drop line or two to,
night to let you know that l am still!
am very thankful that l am alive
and THAI the war is over. We. are
living the life of king now, Sleep
ing in real beds and having good
chow three times day, with very
little to do. Expect to begin drill
ing again soon. Hope we do. ]
would much rather drill than u,
surely disgusted with motors or
anything that goes with them. Well
l received your letter of the 21st,
and was very glad to get it and
know that you were all o. K. and
also that the prospect for financial
gains for the firm of w. H. Snyder
& Sons looks so good, only l don't
and l sure appreciate what you have
done for me in holding it together,
and YOU can figure on taking your
family and having good vacation
after / get home and once get a
line on things again. You said you
were anxious for me to get home.
Well, no doubt you are, but just
MI ten
you will know how anxious l am to
get there Oh, boy, there's no
place like home, and no one realizes
it more than l do now. lam living
with German family. Now: that
is, l have a room in their house.
He is a baker and am now writing
in the bake. shop where, it is warm.
sure a dandy fellow. He and his
wife treats us fine. She washes
our clothes and won't take any pay
for it, We have to furnish the soap.
They haven't any soap in this ,coun-
try at ALL and very poor tobacco.
You ought to see the American SOL
diers fight over Bull Durham, that
shoe We have had no freezing
weather since we have been in Ger
many, but had some in France. They
say it gets cold here in January but
it is far from cold here now 1t is
very damp though. We are right
on the banks of the Rhine. l have
received lots of mail, got four let
tiers last night and one from Bob
Scott tonight, dated Dec. 9Th, so
suppose he is all o. k. Was sure
glad to get it. He was in the
Argonne Forrest in the lines "a
days and that sure was an awful
place, because l was up there when
the big doins' was going on. ] wish
you could have seen that forrest:
The best description l could give of
1t, it looked just like a cornfield
that had been hit by hail storm,
only worse than l ever saw, and it
was forrest of big trees instead Of
corn stalks. The Americans threw
"a barrage over on a 35-mile front
and eight miles wide, landed a shell
in every ten feet square So you
can imagine what it looked like,
and I'm telling you those 100-pound
shells hit hard because l was very
close when a lot of the Dutch IT'S
hit and they were smaller than that
But that's all over now and l am
glad. Well will close for tonight.
hoping to see you before February
18th. l remain your brother and