Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-01-08
BOB HARGREAVES
WRITES SISTER
Planning Now on Going to Germany
Where They Will be GarrisOned
for a While Before Coming
Home
LIVING IN BILLETS ia
AGAIN, WHICH is FINE
Can Walk Around at Night Now
and See the Buildings Lit Up,
Can Smoke Too, Not Fear
Shell is Going to Hit Us
Somewhere in France
Nov. 20, 1918

Ny Dear Sister:
Another letter from you received
a few days ago, so will try and drop
you few lines this evening before
going to bed. When | tell you it is
only GAS p. m. you will think it
quite funny for me to say anything
about going to bed at that time of
night. Well of course am not in bed
yet, but will be before long. 1t gets
dark over here at about Ais p. M.
so We have a long evening to sit
around in, as We have supper at 400.
/ wrote you a few lines about a
week ago, which / suppose you
have by the time you get this.
Don't remember just what / told you.
so will tell you of some of the hap
penings of the last 10 days The
drive started on the 1st Of Nov, the
Co. went forward and | went to the
Personnel officer, where | stayed for
five or six days while the drive was
on. After things got pretty well set
tied again / went back to the Co.
We were then on the front line. On
the evening of the 9th they got
orders to move again so l decided to
go with them this time. So after sun
down we started out, crossed the
Muese river at CD and advanced
about three miles without meeting
any resistance. Just at daybreak we
went into little woods, about ten o.
fifteen acres, went along about 100
yards when we ran into some ma
chine guns, rear guard for the rer
treating Huns. Well we had quite a
! little scrap there for a little while,
then commenced to shell the woods.
We got orders to dig in, was in a
hell of fix, as / did not have any
thing to dig with except bayonet,
so ! started to dig with that, got a
little hole dug and laid down in it,
the ground was quite springy and as
fast as | would dig it would run in,
: but that did not bother me in the
least, as l would rather lay in lit
tie water, than to get hit by piece
of shell. And believe me they sure
gave us Smelling, thought of
everything l had ever done and sure
wished had of stayed where was,
as was not compelled to go with
them over the top. But got out of
was with them. We layed around in
our holes all day long, at sun down
they put over lot of gas, one of the
fellows got more than he could
stand, so l went with him to the hos
pital and from there to the Person
mel officer. / turned in few reports
the next morning then started for the
Co. again, but the guns had stopped
firing before I reached them. They
all stopped at the same time, the
eleventh. month, eleventh day and
eleventh hour, one that will go down
in history. Well it sure seemed fun
ny to walk around on hill top. when
just the day before if we had of
done it we would OF had machine
gun aftersus. Another thing which
seems quite treat, is to walk around
at night and see the buildings lit up,
and to walk around smoking, not
fearing shell is going to hit us and
without fearing a gas attack.
We are now living in billets again,
which sure feels fine. There are three
other fellows in the room where /
am, and in which have my Office.
Have pretty good bed to sleep in,
and little stove and lots of coal,
so you see we are pretty well fixed.
The latest news we have received
is that we are going to Germany,
where We will be garrisoned for a
while before coming home. Told mo-
Their ! thought we would be home by
next Easter, if nothing happens.
Well / sure would like to have
been with you when you had that
mess of ducks, it sure would be
real treat to sit down to regular
table and eat a regular meal once
again.
Must close for this time as ! want
to write few more lines to some
body else CD before going to bed,
also want to give my shirt looking
over, as ] sure have got them, keeps
me scratching almost all the time.
With lots OF love to all
Your loving brother,