New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-01-01
SOLDIER BOYS LETTERS

The following letter was written Dy
Sgt. Arnin F. Retzlaff, November "a,
at Wiley st. Eticnne, France. The
boys are at liberty now to write more
freely than was permitted while the
war was raging and the letters which
teresting. The letter which Armin
wrote to his father contains so much
information, which interests all who
are interested in the boys over there,
that we are publishing it in full.
Today has been set aside as "Fa-
theirs Christmas Letter Day. for the
whole A. E. F. It's the day when
every American soldier sits down for
a few minutes and concentrates his
mind and puts all Of his thoughts into
the composition Of letter to his first
Commanding Officer.
It's my first letter written for some
months where 1 can name the exact
place where we are stationed. Wiley
st. Etienne is a village located between
Toul and Metz, it's about thirteen miles
west of Nancy and south of Verdun, so
you can just about imagine where your
Christmas Victory Letter is written,
forlorn, deserted country. Nevertheless
[ feel proud that can write to you this
day as a member of the American Expe-
dictionary Forces. It letter written
on one of the most famous battle fields
of the world, where many Americans
gave their lives for the great cause.
We are surrounded with trenches and
tions of barbed wire ENHANCEMENT. So
far as our surroundings are concerned
a person would think that the war was
in full swing but the guns have ceased
firing and all is very quiet now. ..
The morning of November IL when
the Armistice was signed we were bust
ly engaged at the railroad, unloading
our equipment to 60 into action. The
guns were roaring around II clock as
never before and that was the last, too.
This, of course, changed the plans
very quickly and instead of going fore
ward our outfit went backward until
we landed in this village and we have
II It moved since. It's a wonderful thing
how this war came to an end so quickly
TO see this war through and besides
hoir -,f
too thankful.
TO be frank, we had several good
times since leaving the states-but also
some hard times. just a fcw-instances,
think Of walking with a heavy pack
strapped on the back from. P.~NE to,
A. M. and that mostly nights in order
to escape the deadly bombs of the Ger
man aeroplanes or an enemy artillery
barrage. Then eating and sleeping in
the open or in some bombarded house
or barn. Sleeping with all the clothes
on, wrapped in q bundle Of heavy blan-
kets. [ have not had one nights rest
with my clothes off since the first part
of September. Lately am sleeping
with my shoes and stockings off but
the rest [ keep on in order to stay warm
as the nights are quite chilly in this
part Of France. You have to hand it to
Uncle Sam; he keeps his fighters equip
ped with good clothing and plenty of
wooden socks and blankets so they do
not have TO suffer from the cold He
also sees to 1t that we are well provided
with heavy woolen~ underwear which
has to be changed once week after: q
good warm bath. Even if we have to
sleep with our Globes on we manage to
be bunch of clean cut fellows. And
are always ready in a happy mood to
go about our work with a smile, because
we know there are some real good times
awaiting us back in the good old T.. S.
A. We never realized what a good
country we were living in until we
reached this deserted land.
The censorship rules have been lifted
to some extent, but l don't care to go
INTO details too freely at present, but
when my next letter arrives. you may
get out one Of the biographies and fol
low up my trip from the port of en-
barkation on. know it will be Of in
terest to you to read of. some of my ex-
pericnces and to study the many differ
emit moves we made.
Last Thursday and Friday L was in
Nancy and it felt pretty good to be In
big city once again. Lit Smith Of
this company secured pass to 90 there
on official business and he took me along
as his orderly. On account of the
heavy traffic going on between Toul,
Nancy and Metz, We had the good luck
both ways Of riding either an American
or French truck
Nancy proved to be quite target for