The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-02-06
From Lieut., Will Bradley.
Iuxemburg. Dec. 25. 19

Luxembourg, Dec. IS, 1918.
Dear Folks at Home: Received
your dandy Christmas letters yester-
day and you can imagine how l am
thinking OF home today. we are at
most beautiful places in the world,
believe, and | am glad that we
will be here for at least six weeks
more. Mamma | wish you could see
the room | have. The bed with it's
fancy spread, ett:, must be worth
thousand at least. Beautiful hard
furniture is very beautiful--old an
tique and very valuable. If this is
for me. OF course, this is new to
us, but we have had everything
from the worst imaginable to the
very best at present Luxembourg as
y Hn kne etse is nstwe sma France p"te aHi
Germany. The government, | be-
lieve, was pro-German, but the in
habitants sympathize with the al
lies. They are especially strong for
the Americans. The doughboys won
the war, they say, and you could not
make them believe differently. The
same opinion prevails all through
is undoubtedly true. We were in
Lorraine, then crossed the Rhine in
to Germany as the army of occupa-
ton. Then we're transferred to
the second army and will probably
remain here until peace is signed
and we are ready to. depart for
home: This country is wonderful
hills, covered with pine forests;
everything is clean and kept in tip
TOP condition. You can't realize
what good roads are until you ride
over these, never a jar or a bump.
II sure is real treat to ride in a
machine. This was probably the
same in France before the war and
fine even now, but the heavy traffic,
especially the American truck, has
cut them up badly, especially in
places. l am in first-class physical
condition., never better in my life,
and see no~reason Why should not
continue So. didn't mention be,
knew you would if you knew. | had
a rather severe attack of dysentery
and that together with harnorrhOids
made me rather uncomfortable. :!
got around a little too soon and
caught a bad cold. rather | think a
mild attack of influenza. However,
it left me none the, worse and | am
We are all glad the war is over.
think it means even more to the
folks at home than to the boys here.
For they had become more or less
used to it and it was rather a
pleasure for them to get the COM
mand to 'go over the top espec-
tally after q period OF inactivity or
the uncertainty of gas is a terrible
strain when lying in a shell hole or
behind trenches. But the command
to 20 forward changes >all this. The
activity and the relief felt in being
able to give vent to ones feelings, |
the opportunity to get revenge gives
the war game certain fascination
that makes it seem less dreadful to |
the doughboys. It's the stretcher
suffers most. He has no chance to
fight back but must go into the /
places of greatest danger with shells |
bursting all around him. He has a |
duty to perform, to carry back the
over, sometimes very diff
ficult ground, at night without light, +!
constantly in danger Of being gased |
let. This is true because as you
probably know in this war the back |
axes, especially that back of the
front line. suffers very bravely from |
every shell fire and gas during and |
when artillery attacks. Well. dear
folks, ! wish you all Merry Christ
mas and a Happy New Year. Tell
Mida ! surely appreciate and treas
ure her letters. This letter is for
bag; it is very valuable Love to all,
Will. !
A c. 131, 10S Sanitary Train,
A. P. o. 75OA.