The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-01-16

The following letter was written by
Delmore p. Adams to his father, Asa
NJ. Adams, of East New Portland:
Langres, France.
Nov %, 1918.
Merry Xmas to all
My dear Dad =
How is the world using you today?
| am we'll and happy and am contem-
plating writing quite a letter. You
can see by the heading where | am,
but | have an idea you would like to
know where l have been since | left
the u. S. A.
My first stop In foreign country
was at Liverpool, Eng. l stopped
there long enough to march thru part
of the city. Went from there to
Southampton. England Is surely
very pretty country. Everything
seemed to be very neat and clean.
Was in quarantine at Southampton
for about two weeks before coming to
France. / hit this country in April
and rejoined my outfit at La-Ferte-
sur-Aube. Since then We have been
busy. l know you are reading this
patiently Until you Coinc W "hoio
tell you about real action.
Do you remember reading the last
Of May about the town of Chateau
Thierry? No doubt you did. ! saw
something about it in the New York
Herald. Well, l went into action
there May 81. My outfit was the first
American soldiers in the town. Oh
boyi some time. tried to live up to
the record of the family, and succeed
ed in part. | Ravens any d. S. C's.
or Croix de Queries to show you
when return, but | did get person
al citation for something or other.
was always more or less of fool
anyway.
was also there July 18th and 18th
when the Americans showed what
they were here for.
My Bin was the only outfit in the
division that took part in that memoir
able drive at St Mihiel Believe me.
was proud to belong to the U. S.
Army I should hate to have miss
ed all of this.
The next drive that l was in was
at Verdun | didn't do much there
| except to dodge &c l Cans.
About that time my company com
mander decided that ! should be an
| officer. In other words End Lieut..
so he sent me to school where | still
am Guess | am a hopeless case.
My work previous to now has been
with machine guns and here | am
studying infantry work.
My outfit Is now in the Occupation
Army, and | should love to be with
them However, | find it is impos-
sible, so rather than be gutter, |
am going to soldier here as | would
anywhere else.
Take it all around, Dad, | have
had the time of my life in the last
year. Have learned moro than l
could ever have learned If | had stay
ed at home This experience is go
ing to be a great help to me when
get back, and ! imagine that l shall
spend the latter part of next summer
at Big Jim Pond. Am planning on
taking a short vacation before l set
tie down to work. AS yet | don't
have much idea what shall do. May
continue my education.-I imagine 1t
will be the best thing to do. l kind
of broke in on work to come over
J here, and | am the winner by It,
Now dad, | am expecting to hear
from you, telling me all about what
you have done the last year. Next
Thursday, | am going to celebrate my
birthday and Thanksgiving together.
Do you realize that you have quite a
son in France? | will only be TWEEN
ty, but wait until I get back there and
we will put the gloves on. That will
be the only kind OF a battle | care for.
No married life for mine. Too
much strife and turmoil. Believe
me, I'm going to be peaceable from
now on.
Now, dad, when you get this letter,
Just sit down and smoke a good cigar
for me. My smoking consists mostly
OF cigarettes, which don't do me any
good. Have real good pipe 1t
is just getting sweet. II is very
similar to the one | tried to smoke
when was a kid. Well do l re-
member that time. I can seem to
feel that single, barrel staye or what
ever 1t was, as | write this letter. I
guess 1t wouldn't have done me any
| harm II 1t had been used oftener
Times have changed since those
days and lot has happened. A year
ago today, | was in the Hospital at
Fort Slocum recovering from an OPP
Grafton 1t was one OF the luckiest
things that ever happened to me-
| Since then I have been as tough as
, bear. Have you ever received the
| $500 that | sent you some time ago?
I hope so. 1t has been on the way
| for some time.
Well, dad, must close now, wishing
YOU a Merry Xmas and Happy New
| Year.
Your loving son.
DELMORE.
| Candidate Delmore p. Adams,
st Platoon End Co. list Bn.
\ G. A. A. p. 0. TIA
I'm. e. #.
P. 8. Since writing have beer