McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1919-07-18
Near the Rhine.
Niedermendig, Germany.
June Is, Is, 1919.

puhS Aci AC3 l0AC'
Perhaps you would like to hear
from me and to know where am. !
have never written to your paper, but
get it almost. every week from my
folks at home, and certainly enjoy
reading it.
left Selmer June 26, 1918, for
Camp Gordon, Ga, where ! remained
until September 6, when we went TO
Camp Merritt, N. j., from where we
sailed on September IA, landing at
South Hampton, England. We were
sent to training camp in France,
where we had three weeks Of hard
drilling. We were sent to the Third
Division on October 30, and | am still
with it in the army of occupation, be-
ing stationed in Niedermendig. 1t is
not a large town, but there are stone
quarries and breweries nearby which
give employment to the people.
There are seven companies here to-
gether with regimental headquarters,
We soldiers live in the houses with
the Germans. They all treat US very
nicely, but | don't thinkTit is because
they want to, but because they know
better than to mistreat Us, and anoth-
er reason is that they want 80 soften.
our hearts. and hide some Of the dirty
deeds done in this war, so we will
make peace terms easier, but we hope
the terms will be as hard as possible.
The square-heaGed brutes sometime
forget the Americans are here, then
we show them we are running this
country.
We are all getting mighty tired of
this country, ,and when do we go
home" is the most heard question we
hear now. Somebody has to be last,
and guess it had we'll be Us as the
other fellows.
have about as much love for the
square-headed hun as ] have for a
sheep.killing dog, and if | could tell a
few things they have done, you would
think as we soldiers do Of chem.
never was on the front, but got
close enough to see airplane fighting
and the continual roar Of artillery, II
my division hadn't been relieved, we
would have gone to the front within
a few day. | count myself fortunate
in not having to go on the front, for
have heard from the boys who en-
dured some awful hardships there,
and have seen few Of the fronts.
My division hiked right into Ger
many. ! don't see how we made it,
but we got it just the same, We
made as many as 80 miles day with
full packs, going for eight days with
out a rest. They say il was $50 miles
from where we begun.
We struck the Rhine at st. Goar,
came down through Goblenz to where
we are now. Some beautiful scenery
down the valley Of the Rhine, but for
me, give me good old McNairy couu-
ty, for | wouldn't live over here for
all Of Germany.
Most Of the home boys who went
to the camp with me are back home,
and the company | am in now is COM
posed of fellows | never saw before.
| never new there was a McNairy boy
in Germany until saw in the Inde-
pendent that Albert McGullar was
stationed about 25 miles from me. |
am going over to see him.
was in Paris Easter for three or
four days, and il is some city too.
We are having an easy time now,
no drilling, good health. plenty to eat
and great desire to come home.
| would be glad to hear from any
of you McNairisns and will answer
all letters.
| close hoping to be home soon.
MECH. JAS. CLYDE HUGGINs,
Co. X, 3Sth Infantry; A. P. 0. TAO,
Army If Occupation, Germany.