The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-21
LETTER FRoM PARpIEck.

LETTER FROM PARDlEck.
An Interesting letter from Regi-
ment Sergeant Major Joseph B. Par.
deck has recently been received by
his parents.
Now that Uncle Sam has lifted his
censorship and we are permitted to
write a few things, am going to bur-
den you with q little story OF the past
events of the last few days.
The first town we struck Of any Inn
portance was Joinville. which is right
across the province Of Haute-Marne
from Domerency, the home OF Jeanne
Dare ! had hoped we would 20
through that town but they took an
other route. From Joinville we struck
st. Dizier which Is busy little town.
Every window and door Is still drap-
ped with the tri-color of France and
all along the road were struggling
French, both soldier and civilian. the
former going back to his family, the
latter coming back to his shattered
home. We followed the Marine river
and crossed that famous little twist.
ing stream at least three times, 1t Is
about the size of the Whitewater riv-
er at home and l was disappointed,
thought 1t was quite big creek at
least.
They choose a little park between
two roads for a place to halt that
night and in about two minutes there
were some 1000 soldiers running
around like q bunch of rats trying to
| find themselves a place to rest their
weary bones, while others were get
ting supper ready and still others CIV
ing their trucks first aid. 1t made
pretty sight to see that many fellows
all running around, each man looking
out for himself or his buddy fitting
in between the big barn-fires. l and
the other sergeant-matOr found our
selves a soft board In the second story
OF an old saw mill in that vicinity and
with another sergeant made our PED.
Tripling up it gives all OF us more
blankets and going from nice SOFT
feather bed to soft wood In one night
is quite a change and l guess woke
the two fellows up some twenty times
that night to roll over as was Gettihs
corn on each hip and couldn't lay
over an hour on each. We all lald
so close that when one moved, cach
had to move to keep the cover on. 30
we would do It to the count OF one
two, three Just think that was Satur-
day night and we went TO bed Mt Z 80
and lay there and talked about what
We might have been doing IN the
States. We got up about bells the
! next morning and all the dressing we
1, had to do was to put on our SHOES az
we slept In our clothes, went out ana
had breakfast on hot coffee, bareback
and corned willy. but az everybody
passed up the corn willy. It was just
|
day morning hut AZ there was no wa
ter in the vicinity no one even washed
and at about 1880 we we're again on
the road, trying to- keep warm. cause
II sure was cold and we felt so rested
after the comfortable night we had
had.
We are now travelling on one OF the
y wide military roads leading 10 Inc
front and occasionally You wou'd sec
the wooden cross marking the grave
OF a solitary soldier who eltner nao
ben an aeroplane casualty, or had oieu
returning from the front. The smail
towns we were now passing through
including Barbecue and the otners
mentioned showed evidence OF naVine
suffered a great deal from air raloS
and there were bomb proof dugouts
in the public square for the people
AS we approached Verdun the raVageS
of war showed more plainly, very re"
houses were left standing IN the VII
lagos, snatches of barb wire entangle
ments were still standing which 'hat
been built in the early periods OF the
war, and zizzag trenches ran up ant
, down the sides OF the hills; the ROAD:
were also heavily camouf1aged by mgr
poles some Is and 20 feet high, VIII
chicken wire on which was laced tnf
|, tips Of pine trees and other evergreen
vines: ammunition dumps were also
screened with burlay painted green
and everything was camoufiaged OF
put underground.
The milestones showed that We were
nearing Verdun, and before we knew 4
we saw the battle scared high stone
walls of the outer fortresses with TN
River Mouse gracefully swervint
. around them, thus naturally tormlnf
, an ideal moat, and for fear We would
, not recognize the city. sign consplc
, uously read This Is Verdun." W.
entered under the great arch In the
wall and then beheld before our eyes
the ruin and destruction OF siege
. I have read great deal about It, bu
|, imagine four or FIVE thousand house:
, solidly constructed OF stone. witt
|, hardly a stone left. everything LEI
. just the way it had fallen, half o
house shot away, the table or stove
still standing, but the old fortress wa!
, held and we saw tho famous turf
around trenches where Marshal Jof
. fire. made his famous stand in 1914
, We went through the city. or wha
! was left of it, and left through anothe
|, big gateway. There were great ragget
, gaps In the walls where the big gun!
had made direct hits. bridges all blown