Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-02-06
Our Soldier Boys.

lions. LOPEZ STORE Co.
Our Soldier Boys.
Private L. R. Robinson, Co. <, 13sth
U. s. Infantry, C. %. Sd Battalion
Scouts, writes on January 1: "We are
just commencing a New Year. Hope
1t is not like the old year. Have had
some rain the past week. We are
still anxiously waiting for the good
news of returning. We have done
about all we can. Came over to help
end the war. 1t is over now, let US
return. AS for building up the coun-
try, let the Huns build it up. They
destroyed the homes. We are now
with the scouts. We were CHARTERED
in some French barracks. We only
staid one night, and then got runners
out. 1t is cold, but not so bad when
it is not raining. Then it is disagree
able. We certainly spent the holt
days, no place to go. We are glad
there are no trenches in our way. 1t
would be Pas Bon to spend these chill
ly nights in the trenches. I received
a letter from Dewey Pollock. He said
his only disappointment was that he
did not get to serve in European wa
ters. Icannot say what mine is. Sup.
pose it is we did not get to come
home to spend Christmas. May be we
will get home for the 18th of July. l
hope so. l received the Christmas
package just in time for New Years
Day. A little late in coming, but in
time for n holiday any way. Well,
news is scarce, SO will ring off. Burnt
up a candle in writing these few lines,
l hope you enjoyed a happy Christ
mas and New Year. We did (?).
Write soon and all the news"
Private LIST Glass, Walter Hatten,
127th Infantry, writes again from Sell
tiers, Germany, December 80: ''The
time is certainly passing fast since we
crossed into Germany. We will soon
be IN German soil a month, and it
seems like a day to US boys. This is
not a very large place, but it certain
ly abounds with large German Hotels.
We are the only battalion in this town
now and we all have fire and electric
lights in our billets. All the houses
have water works in them, SO we do
not have to 60 out of the house to get
drinking or washing water. In even
the smallest of the towns they had
electric lighs in their barns. When
the German soldiers returned, through
these German towns they stole every
thing they could get their hands upon.
In q speech made to us by our Divi-
sional Commander, Major General
HAN, at Brehenville where the war
ended, he told us that France had lost
two million six hundred thousand men
killed. He said he wanted us to keep
the towns cleaned up, as all the work
we did lightened the burdens of the
French women. For the splendid
showing of this Division Major Gener-
al Ham was promoted to Corps Com
mander. Our Divisional Commander
is now Major General Lassiter. The
Division we are with is in the Third
Army Corps, and it is this Corps that
followed up and took control of the
bridgeheads on this side of the Rhine.
We do not know when we will be re-
lieved and start for the port of en-
barkment, but we would all be glad if
it would be some time soon. The
Thirty Second was the fifth Division
to arrive in France, SO we figure We
will be among some of the first Divi-
sions to get home. We had a white
Christmas this year here, and these
Dutcbmen came to town in their
sleighs. Most anything they haul here
is pulled by milk cows. / had to come
to France and Germany to see them
hauling wood and blowing with milk
cows. We have been having quite a
bit of sleet and rain here lately 1t
is now most supper time. We eat at
Ais here, as it gets dark early, es-
pecially this time OF the year,
Private j. Earl Calvert writes from
Germany: "When the armistice was
signed we were in the Argonne Forest
near Verdun, where we were engaged
in the hottest battle we have been in,
or that any other American soldier
was in. That last cannon that fred
sounded as IL we're full OF music, for we
were pretty weary. We had chased
the Hun from the wood to the river
which was several miles and really
seemed farther, for these old machine
guns get awful heavy on top of your
full pack which we had to carry as the
nights were pretty cold. We hiked
from there back to Verdun and from
there to 80 miles north Of Coblenz
where those of us belonging to the
First Division are among the troops
OF occupation. The Hun receives us
coolly, but at the same with respect,
and say they like the Americans more
than the other allies. We are getting
along fine and there 10 a rumor out
that we will be on our way back soon.
l certainly claim ! have been lucky,
as ell / got was a little gas and q piece
OF high explosive hit me In the arm
and leg, but not enough to do any
more than leave q little blue spot.
There a hundred and fifty men
came to this battalion when I did a
year ago. and now there are only 10