The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-05-16
LETTERS FROM THE
BOYS. IN THE CAMP


is in receipt of the following letter
from her brother, Sergeant G. A. Stro-
bel, who is stationed at Coblenz, Ger
many.
Coblenze, Germany.-My Dear Sis
ter: You wrote an interesting letter
which | received tonight. You asked
many questions. / shall endeavor to
answer them. First OF all, was | at
the front? Yes, for forty five days
all during the Argonne- Mouse often
sive. Was | in the actual fight? Yes,
our organization was engaged in their
line of work which was to build rail-
roads so that supplies could be brought
to the real fighting men. Though we
did not shoot at the enemy directly,
nevertheless they shot at us and the
truth is this, while the cannon balls
did not strike brother, nevertheless
he heard them whistle and saw them
fall not far from him and we thought
little of it then. Shrapnels fell near
us. One time one fell down a few
feet in the rear of our platoon lieuten-
ant and me- You seem to be DESTROYS
to know the real facts. am glad to
poor fellows did, who are new lying
in that forest. have seen some
dark. gloomy, sorrowful days. Such
days one could not cry. When you
see a man that has both his legs shot
off, like / saw one Sunday morning
over forty men lying near a church,
and still these fellows smiled and
laughed and had hopes and talked
about other things than their most
noticeable wounds. Why one thinks
it is useless to speak, unless to tell
you were in the war, and as long as
one lives where can one lament This
has been an awful war, as awful as
is awful or | ever thought it could
be- l feel as though l should never
smile again, as though / could never
cry, for the awfulness has gone and
is over. / can't write. all would like
to say, but / have good thoughts, !
did think deeply and l know few
things.
l am glad / went through it all as
far as l did and am glad also saw
no more, but words have no descrip-
ton of what it was all like. You have
vague ideas but it is not your fault
that you visualize; anyone does the
same.
Can you picture me lying under a
rainy sky, lying sick. alone one night,
forgotten, lost from the world, and
only thinking how mother was lying
so nicely at home in her bed, also
of all of you, and did not think
would live until morning? Can you
imagine me walking from morning
early until late at night with 3 very
heavy pack on my bscs and onl1n m
hours rest all day. little cold dinner
and no supper? Can you imagine me
lying on wet blankets, soaked with
rain? Can you imagine me. begging a
piece of bread from another soldier
whom / met on the road one day, and
he dividing his last piece with me?
Can you imagine my last drop of wa
ter gone from my canteen and beg
ging poor private in my platoon for
one swallow only, and he holding his
canteen to my lips? Can you i'm
agine me soaked and wet to the skin,
standing out all night with not bit
of sleep and no bed to go to but think
ing of you dear folks at home and
the warm kitchen stove? Thank God,
you have not seen this. and If there
be q God may you never endure
this.
Your letter asked several ques-
tons which have suggested to me
that you still doubt that your brother
has gone through part of the war.
Some of the more trying events in
this army have not related. l hope
to be able to talk with you some day
and tell you more incidents which l
cannot relate here, and it would be
useless to tell you all. will not
boast and l cannot for | think or
those in their shallow grave in France.
who do not boast, but they should
boast and a hundred years from now
it will all be forgotten.
What am / teaching? Agriculture
and veterinary science OF course, what
else could / teach, unless it were
something about women suffrage.
There is not much more to write
about, so will close for this time. Your
loving brother, AL.
Miss Myrtle Bulow received the
following letter from Hans Hammer:
Brutinan, Germany: Dear Myrtle:
Just received your letter a while ago
and was very glad to hear from you.
We are just moving into our new
home and have been pretty busy
for the last few days. Well was on
pass to Coblenz about two weeks
ago and met two friends of mine
out of the first division. One was
Corporal William >Hintz and the
other one was First Lieutenant
Spencer, both from Kato. We sure
had a good time together. Oh say.
did you ever hear of the little Red
One or Number One? The little Red
One stands for the first division.
There's little Red One on our
shoulder
Just as homely as homely can be
1t stands for first in battle
The first to have crossed the sea
Americas best in manhood
The first to have answered the call
The first to have captured prisoners
The first to have had a man fall
1t stands for the price of freedom
Never counting, never reckoning
A trail not blaZed with write ups