The Yale expositor., 1919-02-13
YALE, St Clair County THURSDAY February l3,

the roar OF the guns at Lne front.
We were then about so miles from
the front line trenches. However, at
Domgermain they were plain as we
were only about 25 miles away. Mind
you all this loading and unloading had
to be done at night without the use
of lights and believe me it is no
cineh.
That was the last taste we had of
trains. Since then we have been on
foot and have seen lot of France
at that. We marched out of Dom.
german that evening (Oct. 30th) for
about two miles and camped out in
pup tents, again. That night it was
sure frosty, so much that / had to
get up and put on two pair of socks
Possibly you don't realize just what
pup tent is. so ! will try to de-
scribe one TO you. You have prob.
ably seen a dog kennel, the ridge be
ing about three feet off the ground
each side being slanted to the earth
at an angle of As degrees. Now these
tents have a back but no front, sc
our slickers come in handy When
we are ready to get in, we drop on
our hands and knees before the en-.
trance, bark few times, turn around
and back in. Then we close up the
flap and cuddle up together the best
we can. You will notice that
haven't mentioned taking off any
clothes since we left Coetquidan.
never do unnecessary things and that
is the most unnecessary in the army
The next morning when we got up
our shelter tents were so stiff with
frost that we could hardly roll vi
our packs, but hot coffee, bacon and
bread warmed up our insides and af.
ter hopping around, the blood was
soon circulating. That same morning
the sun came out nice and warm and
we viewed the first air fight we had
ever seen. A big Boche plane high
up in the air came over to do some
observing, but hundreds of shots
from anti-aircraft guns kept the
Boche out of observing distance.
The afternoon of October 31st, we
again shouldered our packs and hiked
onward. We passed many large hos.
pitfalls filled to the overflowing with
the wounded of all nationalities, just
before we entered the city of Toul.
This place seemed to be fairly large
city, but we just passed thru a part
of it and continued our march to
Lagney, where we halted about 5 +.
NJ. the same evening. The roar of
the guns kept getting sharper, and
we knew that we were being oozed
up closer to the front.
That night we were billeted out in
this small town and found a "Y"
which supplied us with cookies, choc.
olate, gum, cigars, cigarettes, etc. We
were then in our glory to be able to
have a package of cookies in one fist
and bar of chocolate in the other
taking bite of each alternately.
Friday afternoon November 1st, we
left about 8 p. NJ, always heading
northeast, which meant in the gen.
eral direction of Metz of which you
have read a great deal After dark
We marched thru Bernacourt and FIJI
rey which were badly shell torn, in
fact there was hardly building left
in the, latter place. About 10 p. M
we halted in Mortmare Woods where
we were to stay several days. Now
we were only about 10 miles from
real action,
We were then located directly east
Of st. Mihiel in the midst of the ter.
ritory covered by the celebrated drive
made by the Americans Sept. II. ~
13, IA All OF this district had been
held by the Germans from the begin.
ming of the war in 1914, and even
such cursory glance as we were able
to give the network of dugouts show
ed that the Germans had planned on
occupying whatever they gained in
France. These dugouts and emplace
ments were solid concrete and rail.
road iron. The walls were plastered
and papered, and many times there
were tiled rooms, electric lights, car
pets, etc, and in one place we found
a piano. All the territory showed
many signs of hasty evacuation, new
ammunition, machine guns and sup
plies of various sorts strewn all
around.
No doubt you read of how the
Americans chased the Boche out of
the st. Mihiel sector in double quick
time last September. This must have
been a wonderful fight. but 1t seems
almost impossible of accomplishment
the Germans were so deeply en-
trenched We were quartered in this
woods for several days and saw some
real excitement as well as some
laughable incidents. All around us
we could see airplanes of both the
Allies and the enemy fighting with
each other and being held off by air
craft guns on the ground But one
day the Germans put one over on us
and by some sort of strategy, got
one of their planes together with two
escorts directly over the woods we
we're located in and then he began
pegging away with a machine gun at
nm ohoarvafion ha1ioop otof;onod 4.