Morris tribune., 1919-02-07
TELLS OF FIGHTING
ALONG WESTERN FRONT
Norbert Walz Writes Interesting Let
ter to His Parents is Now In
Germany
November "a, 1918.

Dear Father:
Well, the war is finally over with
and I came thru it all without
scratch. I think 1 am pretty lucky
because there are very few in our
company, which originally was about
two hundred and forty, that haven't
been either killed, wounded or gassed
sometime or other. We were sure
glad when we got the order about
nine o'clock on the morning of the
eleventh, to cease firing. We were
just preparing to make another drive.
The Germans sure believed in keeping
it up to the last minute because they
didn't stop till exactly eleven.
I am pretty anxious to get home,
but don't know how long it will be;
there are lot of rumors going about,
some are that we will be here another
six months, and some even say we
will be home by Christmas, but that
hardly believe because the time is
too short, at any rate it is a consola-
tion to know that I'll be back some
time.
I sent forty dollars ($4O.OO) home
thru the Y. M. c. A. yesterday, but I
suppose it will be at least a month
or six weeks before you get it, We
haven't much of anything to spend
money for over here, so there is not
much use of carrying it around, I
might lose it.
The Government keeps us pretty
we'll supplied with smoking tobacco,
and occasionally we can get some
cigarettes and chocolate from the Y.
come in here the other day. They
! did treat us boys right. They don't
sell thing, they give everything
away. They had hot chocolate, cof-
fee, beef tea, chocolate bars, chew
ing gum, chewing tobacco and Gig
arettes, and all ysu wanted of it.
Well, they say the censorship has
been lifted to a certain extent, so I
guess / can tell you little more than
I have been writing, but I'm afraid
to tell you exactly where I am, but I
will say that am about twenty miles
southeast of Verdun, and about twen-
ty-fve miles from Metz. Of course
1 haven't been here ever since came
over. We have been fighting all
along the western front, from the
north to the south. We'd go cover
the top" at one place and move on to
some other place, go over again and
move on.
How is everything in Morris. We
have been at the front practically
ever since we first went in, which was
the first week in August, and OF
course when we are at the front we
sleep either in the bottom of trenches
or in the open, the best we get is
barns. But soldier don't mind
these things much. We get used tt
it, the main thing is if we get enough
to eat,and we haven't been able tc
complain about our eats. Of course
we don't have roast turkey with all
the trimmings and pie or cake fo1
dessert, but we get enough of what we
do have. havn't been able to weigh
myself since I came over here, but
think I'll weigh about 40 and I'm
feeling fine. That aught to be good
enough for anyone.
got the letters Leonella sent thru
Morris and also the note mother put
in. I certainly would like to be at
home for that Christmas dinner and
sure could do justice to my share of
the turkey.
Another thing I want to mention
before 1 close is, did you get my
insurance policy for the $4,000? II
not, let me know, because it ought
to be there by now. This insurance
costs me $3.50 every month.
Must close now. Your loving son
Norbert.