Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-02-06
HEARD FROM AT LAST

Mrs. Fred Plaehn has just received
word from her nephew, Leo Coleman
who has been overseas for more than
a year No word was received from
him for several months causing much
anxiety for his relatives. All are
pleased 10 know that he is safe. Mr..
Coleman is known here in Audubon,
having been here for several months
before entering the army. His let
ter follows:
Lamont, France.
Dear Folks:-Well it has been
quite q while since have written to
you at home, but we have been so
busy moving as you know by this
time that the war is over and I sup
pose all at home are about as glad
as ] am. Well, dad. as you know,
today is fathers day, that means that
every soldier in France is supposed
to write to his father and tell him
the war is over and anything else he
wants to, and also to write to the
father of some soldier that you know
who was killed over here. am
writing to Mr.. Shoemaker at Shenan-
doah, Ia, whose son was killed by the
side OF me. Well. suppose you
would like to know some OF my his
tory since l left the United States.
First. left Camp Cody and went thru
Ell Paso. Texas; Topeka, Kans.: Kan
sas City; Fort Wayne, Ind; Toledo,
Ohio; Detroit. Mich; part of Penn
sylvania; Buffalo. ". Y: New York
City and then to Hohoken. N. j. We
then got on the boat and was on it II
days including the Fourth of July. l
landed in LIVERPOOL. England and We
camped there all day and night. then
We got on a box car train and rode to
Derby, England and camDed there a
day or two and then we got on a real
train and rode to Sopth Hampton
where there sure are wild women and
oamped there two days and then we
rot on boat and crossed the English
Channel. landing at CherbOurg. in
France, and from there to Tours,
France then to La, Courtine. From
there to (Point St Mckinney whore I
ioined the 18Th field artillery and
was there two DAYS and left for Cha
team Thierry front. We went into
Sessions JuIv 20+h and drove the
Germans to Rheims then Is when we
got our name as being the best fight
ers in France Then we got orders
to Po back for rest when General
Mangin OF the French army says to
send MS che (32d division) to the
Sessions front 10 eunnort the FOREIGN
Legion which we aid with great sue
cess and was hiehlv praised for our
great success and then orders came
thet we We're to 20 back for rest
and so we entrained at Vi'lers Cat
@.x- - ~ Il
ed through Paris ard Wares and un-
loaded az 81 Di77ie~ and h'ked to a
town named JoinviIIe Was there
three davs whom an order came in for
MS TO 90 TO tho Arconne front tVer-
dun frortN aud we fi-st went into no.
eV'on 1T Eenae and then ut Ivory,
thon AZ Mont'aucon then at Romina
and wo mt over 10 hour harrage
and whom that was fn'shad tho Ger
ware nod Aoa - miles and there has
haon M move shots f~ed since then.
Ther Wa c~mo hnck through Rauhe-
count ord T-i"ou~t and are canned
now IN 7 aimort town noar Rovig-
nv and arc WAITING for further orders
Cu- doruhhovs hove zone on into
Co-r'"rv an IN the thirtv-sec-
ord d'v'e'cr the boot I'm France with
ont hracoin0 WaU. dad I would
l'kn ~ No ho,nn fo- Nrras hut II Is i'm
roes'N'e Nrt ' viii he there i'm three
~ fou~ month"; ~ the most have
su"a snen rIer'v ~ war for mine.
have soon sorn horr'h,e sights over
hove hut am hon'n0 I never see any
moro The f-orts 7 have heer on are
tho th-ao wo~e. fror'r thpt she~e ever
was IN fh's war The fronts were
cN,teu Thterrv. Soiss'oHs and YER
dur---vou have heer reading about
them all the time but I was unable