Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-03-26
ARTHUR LEE
IN GERMANY

St oot VI Jul iioiCo oliu oSICNl Inc q
bunch of kids. The Germans were
happy too, for their lines We could
hear loud cries of joy and trumpets
sounding. 1t is day never to be
forgotten. The following night too,
lis just as memorable. We had new r
dared to have a fire on the front
line, but that night great bonfires
could be seen along the whole front,
and around these fires we sat talk
ing and smoking until way out, in the
night
Our drive ended about two kilo.
meters from small French town by
the name of Baalon. The next day
we moved in there and stayed one
week. While there ] also, saw some
very heart rending sights, when
the prisoners began to drift in. They
We're scantily clad and some of them
had not had anything to eat for
several days. 1t was not only men
for there We're several women with
them.
We stayed at Baalon for one week
then We moved farther up to town
by the name of Epiez. There we stay
ed another week From there we
started our long march into Ger
many We marched thru corner of
Belgium, passed thru the little coun-
try of Luxumberg. We also passed
thru the town of that name, then we
crossed the Mosel and were in Ger
many. For sixteen days we kept on
marching, stopping only. at night to
eat and sleep. At eight o'clock in the
morning we would again be on the
hike. We carried full field equip
ment about eighty pounds, so you
see it was no pleasure trip. How
ever 1 have never felt better than
during that hike. We had enough to
eat, slept we'll at night and had
plenty of exercise during the sday so
why should / not feel we'll? Our
hike ended at Stadtkyll. Here we re-
tmained one week. Then we moved
about Is kilometers to a larger town
by the name of Hillesheim where we
spent Xmas and remained one week.
Then forty men from our company
We're sent to little town by the
name of Darscheid where we remain
nI lot Int AThnra
was nothing to it. We~had toepatrol
some German towns in the vicinity.
/ The towns are very close together
over here so we would only have to
walk about seven or eight kilometers
day and our duty was done for the
day. That was during the deer sea-
son and so while, patrolling we also
done some hunting. While we We're
there we got two deer and had as
consequence venison ~on our menu.
From Darscheid we moved back to
Hillesheim where We spent another
week and then moved over here to
Oberbettingen where we have now
been exactly three weeks today. How
much longer We are to stay here We
do not know, but / think I am eX-
pressing a unanimous sentiment
when / say that we are all longing
for the good old U. S.A. Here is
hoping the day of our departure to
the states is not far distant.
We have everything our own way
over here. The. Germans have little
to say. Yet we are not overbearing,
with them at all. We simply show
them that We are over them. We do
not give them anything like the
treatment they gave the French.
While at Luther / learned some
German and | now find that it comes
in very handy. have to use it every
day and as consequence have i'm
proved my German very much OF
late.
Well I reckon you are becoming
tired of my egotism by this time. but
l do not know anything else to write
about.
Greet Amelia and Ray. I picture
Ray as pretty big boy now.
Your cousin,
ART.
Arthur o. Lee, Pvt.
Co. F, 357 Inf. A. p. o. no
A. E. F. Il