The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-01-09
CIV. MARLEY
WRlTESLETTER
Dampencourt, Belgium, Nov. %, '18

ing LAY, DuC CileTe is no ulIluei III
sight like the ones Mrs. DERRICK pre-
pares, there will be no turkey, goose,
cranberries, none of those delicious
mnce, pumpkin, or caramel pies that
mother made There are lots of things
to be thankful for, the greatest is to
think that this war is over.
Yesterday, l went over to good
Belgium woman's and asked her it she
could prepare a dinner for two of us.
She said her means were limited, but
she said she could prepare us some
soup, chicken, potatoes and salad,
which sounds like wonderful feed
from home.
Was sure glad to receive your let
ter the other day. The censor is off,
so I'll tell you where l have been since
leaving the state.
We left Camp Funston May FL,
leaving Camp Mills June 2: We
crossed to England at Liverpool, aft
er going around what seemed like Ice
land. We went out to a rest camp at
Knotry and then left for Southamp-
ton, where there was another rest
camp. Sailed across to Cherbourg in
| France during the night. Another
rest camp. Entrained for a four day
Quincy across France passing through
Cain, Lemons, Tours, Burgess, Nevers,
Dion, Chaumont, Gen. Pershing's
Headquarters, to St. Bin, about three
burgs from Chaumont. Here we stay
ed for four weeks during July. Moved
to Burley and Lucey about five miles
from Toul. Here we stayed during
August. l wrote your letter from
Lucey.
The day before the great St. Mihiel
drive, we moved to Minorville. The
great barrage, which was one of the
most destructive, perfected and we'll
timed of any on any front. 1t started
at / o'clock in the morning and kind
of Quoted down at when the boys
went over I watched the last part of
the barrage, which was wonderful be-
sides deafening We moved forward
| to up near Tinancourt: Here we stay
| ed till the first part of October, when
we were taken out of the line, moved
to Commency, then to Ricecourt, eight
miles west Of Verdun. From here
we moved to Gisnes, where l left the
headquarters section and went out
with telephone detail of our COM
pany. Halloween eve we were up to
our old tricks and moved forward to
Brigade From here, we moved up
about five in the morning to within
300 yards Of the German front line, to
advance, P. C. Before going into the
woods a big shell, in fact three, lit
at the entrance of the woods, humping
off three doughboys. We had to go
on, SO we moved through grassed
hollow in the woods under our own
1or Soh oil
ping the tops of the trees off. We ar
rived at advance P. c., got our coil of
wire and started to work stringing
wire behind the first wave which had
gone over half an hour before. We
were just going over the top of hill
when Fritz started throwing big
shells, little shells, G. l. cans, bar
racks bags, ETC., at US, shells burst
ing all around us. The machine gun
bullets were whizzing about six inches
over our heads, while we were lying
as fiat on the ground as we could. A
sniper was shooting at us kut-a-corner
from behind. C. J. o. insurance
wasn't worth much just about then.
The Smelling stopped and we went
ahead to farm where the major-gen-
eral had just arrived. We hooked on
to his telephone and then we sat along
the hill, case of have too, as Fritz
started sending those big ones over
about thirty feet apart.
The scene was great, we being COM
paratively safe, but not any too much
SO.
After the Smelling we went to work
bringing the first wire into the next
town. We did good work, even if I
say it myself, and received honorable
| mention for our work, and have been
recommended for D. c. C.'s.
! We went beyond the town, coming
back there that night. 1t was cold
and raining. The outlook for COM
Portable night looked dubious, but we
found nice, dry cellar in under a
three story building. The cellar had
| lots of straw in it, three beds, and a
stove. We made fire and proceeded
to have our first meal since the night
before One of the boys had some
bacon which we fried. had two cans
of sardines We had found or policed
up a loaf of bread, two cans of salmon,
and a can of tomatoes during the day,
all which we proceeded to devour. We
went to bed at seven and slept as
| Oluv OCou-IA1Cu SO1NlOAS AcAl oASOPs
We reported the next morning at
eight for work, and Immediately had
to string three lines forward, one be-
ing up to the front lines where the
boys were just ready to go over. We
did front line work for four days, then
were sent back for rest, when the
armistice was signed, for which we are
all duly grateful. i wouldn't have
missed this experience for farm, in
fact, in way, it was good sport, now
that it is all over.
! We are now in the Army of Occu-
patton moving towards Germany, but
we all would a whole lot rather be
moving towards home, ,-...
Most all souvenirs. have been lost
while we are moving towards the east.
Our packs are too heavy to lug any
thing but what we have to. would
like to see Hugh and the bunch, but we
are now moving miles from them I'M
less they are moving this way.
| l sure would like to be back, and
have some of the wonderful eats off
, vo1yv + h1o 49, y ',.E.''r+1T.t:;i :" :.