South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-19
South Bend Soldier Describes His Experiences With the
Yarlks Cleaning the Hun Out Of the Argonnc Forest

now, for under the ruins there were |
dugouts and even these dugouts /
have been caved in.
There are all kinds OF gruesome |
sights in this wreck, for instance. I
"a Yards from where my company /
was doing guard there stuck out of
the ground part OF leather boot. |
II looked German. Sticking out OF
the boot was a leg. or rather what
was left of a leg. The rest Of the
BODY was probably buried in the
ruins and had once upon time been
a soldier of autocracy. There is
little strip of land just north of
Verdun about 10 miles by five. The
Mace called Beaumont included. that
has been fought over for four years
and is so full of trenches, shell holes,
and the like, that in my estimation
IL would take more work TO put II
hack into civilized shape than the
work il took TO build the Panama
canal While at Beaumont il was
my privilege to visit Verdunon a pass.
l went via bicycle. 1 need not give
vou an elaborate description OF Yer
dun. The name that will MI pages
| in history
The city in peace time contained
a population OF about $4,000 | think.
During the war all the population
| left and no civilian was allowed near
the place. The original city is
fortress surrounded by a stone wall
l snn a
| the wall there is a network OF can
ais and lagoOns. Inside the wall
there is a sort of trench about 80
feet deep by 90 wide. which forms
kind of depressed street between the
wall and the city And I have been
/ fold that there are entrances from
this depressed street into an under
I ground city. This fortress in ye
olden times would certainly have
proved impregnable, but nothing can
stand Up under the methods of mod
ern warfare. And that poor city
suffered. Most of the buildings are
still standing. but there is not
pane of glass left intact in the entire
city. And some Of the most beau
tiful and ancient buildings have
been badly Jared.
TragicaI Sight.
The sight that / witnessed was
surely tragical. IL was on Nov. IS.
and the city was full of all kinds OF
s. diors, prisoners Of Germany that
simply had been allowed TO go when
| tho Germans capitulated. These
IOar fellows had been left TO make
their way back to our lines as best
they could Tired, hungry and cold.
English. French, Italian, BeIgians
and even Russians.
All roads in that vicinity led TO
Verdun and that is where they all
! congregated until sorted out and
sent 10 different destinations Ow-
/ ing 10 the cold they were clad in all
forms OF clothing. For instance. L
/ talked TO an Englishman that was
attired in a part German and part
4 Russian uniform or what was left
of the uniform. / ran across an
Italians coat, the rest of his clothes
was mixed and he had a woman's
dress wrapped around his neck. This
Italian had been in the L. S. for
two years and could talk a little
American. He told me that he had
been captured by the Austrians two
bars, and stars You will hardly
know your son.
This Thursday is Thanksgiving
day. and l realize that have a lot
to be thankful for I assure YOU
that although on this day am far
away, my thoughts will be OF home.
Love TO all the family Kindest
regards and greetings Of the season
to all my friends.
Your loving son,
PVT. MANDEL ALTFELT.
Co. A, nth Machine Gun Bin.
Sixth Division. A E. r.
Via New York.