Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-02-07
YANK'S XMAS
IN FRANCE
Placing and Decorating The Christ
mas Tree-PreSents For Each
Other-No One Left Out-A Full
Dinner and A Story Hour.
Dec. 28, 1918

Dec. %, 1918
ID Arrest Mother and Dad:
Well another week nearly gone and
Anas over, still we are here at it.
1t has again been another RAINY
week, except Tor Amas ana Thurs
day, which were clear and a little
cooIer than usual.
We'll we started the week out as
usuai and On Tuesday we had little
compass prUOiem' which took US over
about 9 hllo. OF ground. We starte d
out (and it was ralnIng) and went
che course, which took US through
woods etci so when we arrived back
at about 11:15 / was soaked through
co about 4 inches above the knees.
So on my return had to make a COM
piete cnange. My rain coat is not
any too good after it gets wet once,
and | say 1t was sure wet.
While on the trip one of the
fellows ana saw very pretty little
Xmas tree, so we cut 1t and brought
1T IN with US. That eve, we fixea it
up and decorated it and I secuted
out and got some little candles ana
the tree looked quite pretty. Well
we agreed among ourselves to all
spend frank and buy a present and
exchange This we did and drew
names out of a can to put on our
package. The tree looked very
pretty when we got it all lit up.
Xmas morn, we did not arise till
little later than usual but we were
up and dressed and ready for; a for
nation at 9:15. We fell in and were
marched to the Y. M. c. A., where
they gave every man a package
which contained box of cakes, box
ii rails ms, Dig chocolate bar and
4 small bars, can of tobacco, cigar
and a package of cgaretts. After
we got our packages a couple of the
eilows went after a little French
Joy who we were going to have in on
the occasion, but he got part way
and got afraid and they had to take
him back to his mother. His father
lad bt en- killed in the war.
Well the boys came back and we
had our Xmas and gave our presents
After some little fooling around we
fell in again at 1890 for dinner anG
& hid d very nice dinner and plenty
he menu consisted of steak and
onions, mashed potatoes and gravy
nd butter, cocoa, celery
doughnuts, cake, pupmKln pie, rice
puddng with dates, nuts, grapes asc
oranges.
Well / ate so much was in misery
for a while after dinner. but the day
was beautiful and clear and yoi
cou.d see the hills very PLAIN witt
5heir snow capped peaks, etc. The
clearest thew had been since we arriv
ed here So our squad started out tC
take walk in their direction so as t.
get a better vie w of the hills. W.
circled ou through the school of fir:
and over to the little town where W.
saw a pretty chateau. This we tool
in to the best of eur ability, for WI
could not get in for there was larg'
wall around it with heavy iron gate
| which were locked.
We circ'ed around this and came
back to little church which we wen
in to see, the inside structure, anC
then we journeyed again towarc
home or the barracks, the only hom'
we have.
We arrived back rather tired, bu
far from being hungry, so at supper
only drank a cup of coffee.
Before we left we wrote a sign
saying we would have open house il
our room and a smoker from $3.50 tt
$50 and invited all to come with ;
rood story After thew all got ther,
we Lit up the tree and set out tn
smokes for every one to help them
-olvas and starte d the ba,l a rolling
Well it turned to "smut" sessio,
| with. stories, but we passed the hou
quite rap dly.
One fellow tod of his expe riences
which are very interesting as he hat
been around the world several time
and in every nook and corner and ha
spent Xmas in a great many coun
tries so he told US about this. He /
mighty interesting
After the crowd dispersed, we play
ed 500 for a little while and finall,
went 20 bed, only to wake up the mex
morning and started the daily dutie.
again.
On Thursday or during the sigh
4 it had turned somewhat colder an
was showing a little, but it did no
succeed in giving US enough to sa,
or call it snow. They do not hav
much snow in this part of the coun
|, try.
Well the day was dark and col
and it looked very much like snoN
but then it did not come.
Today it is raining again and dar
and dismal.
Do not know of much news beside
this to tell you for there is only tn
, days duties and I imagine if tol
you of them they would get a
monotonous to you as they do to u
So guess must close for thi
time
With lots of love
Don
, Sgt. A. D. Mover
Camp de la Valbonne