The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1919-01-10
PAUL FUNK WRITES
FROM WAR FRONT

The following ls part OF letter writ
ten to Mrs. Melyilla Gartin Funk In
tChicago by her son, Paul, who has
been in some great battles in France.
Mrs. Funk Is a sister of j. z. Gartin,
of Louisa and by the merest accident
Paul met his cousin, Otto Gartin, In
the street of a French city December
15 Neither knew the other was over
| there ..
We have another interesting letter
from Paul Funk for use next week:
Somewhere in France,
| October g. 1918.
WNl some days ago we hopped" over
lthe top% again. 1t was different from
/ anything eiae we have done SO far. 1t
was quite interesting. We pulled out of
the support trenches one night about
ten o'clock and slipped and waded
down into a trench which extended
down into mo Mans Land" and wait
cd for dawn. 1t was a black, cold night,
cold and damp, that kind which chills
you to the bone and stiffens A ter
rlble barrage was going on at our left
all night. with intermittent lombard
ing over us at the same time. Well wo
waited and shiverec and shivered and
waited, 1t was miserable. AS dawn was
breaking, smoke shells began to burst
over US. and mo Mans Land" and our
machine gun barrage opened up. 1
could see men running down another
trench, with bayonets fixed. hopping
over the top" and disappearing In the
mist. l was quite excited az we wait
ed our turn. Soon our company com
mander said. All right boys, let's go!
and over The Top" we streamed. In
the meantime the noise was deafening,
big shells cracking here and there. the
continuous pup, pup, pup" of the
machine guns. bullets whistling over
u.s. around US, between us, and Lord
knows where not We hadn't gone far
until the walking wounded started to
come back. didn't want to look at
them much.
Do you know. mother dearest. I die
not see a single man afraid, not ono.
Jerry had blown UP one of our pom
toons bridges I've had to cross a
swamp and this necessitated more
troops going over fewer pontoons.
consequently our progress was slowed
up, and now and then we would halt,
At such times we rolled cigaretts and
smoked | guess / smoked half toz-
en- cigarettes before we got across the
marsh. don't know what II is, but one
loses all fear, and while cautious, he
doesn't think he will be killed. After
we got across the swamp vo lined up.
and at signal all started forward
One could hear the Jerry machine
guns lined up before him pup, pup
ping away. but we just plowed on.
The sun didn't break thru the mist
and smoke until about eleven o'clock.
and In the meantime we had advanced
several kilometers thru everything
and in the meantime, we had advanced
Jerry would throw at us. was In the
second wave, a couple of hundred
yards behind the first, and every once
in awhile a band OF Huns would break
thru the mist, hands up, and one or
two of our men would take back q
batch of fifty or hundred. About
noon we were on high hill, and them
some of our big shells started to fall
short between us and the first wave.
There we were, the Huns machine
guns turned on us and our own pow
erful shells stopping our advance. Ev-
to think that our artillery cut us off
erything had gone fine so far, but now
from our first wave made me so sick
at heart that | guess l could have
cried Up went our signals and soon
our artillery ceased firing, then we ad-
vanced again. On we went until We
reached our present position where
we have been for some days. In the
stunt got little tear gas in my
eyes, which made them smart and left
l. ,lo, 60.
This gas leaves no bad effects, how
ever. 1t just bothers one at the time.
At the finish every one was pretty
near tagged out. 1t is a tiresome job.
The next day we flocked into town
Jerry had evacuated and ransacked
the place. He had left coffee, tea, bread
meat and a million odds and ends, live
rabbits and chickens included. Believe
me we ate. They had built concrete
houses and had planted gardens, let
tuce, etc The Hun has been "strafing'
US with gas. high explosives and over
head sharpnel ever since we have been
here. This kind of work gets on ones |
nerves after awhile,
Well, mother dearest, the things
which have impressed me most In this
drive are the greatness of God the
bravery of our men. and the scarcity
of casualties. How we ever waded thru
that machine gun fire with so few loss
es Is simply miracle. The fact that
our men went thru that same thing
smoking laughing now and then at
something funny which would turn UP,
seems almost as great.
Yes, mother, God is good and thank
Him for His guidance and for the
strength OF heart and body which He
has given me.
Well good bye till next time.
PAUL.
Corp. Paul V. Funk,