The Glenwood post., 1919-03-01
ELLIS CRISSMAN
WRITES OF war
Not Crazy About Fighting Huns
as Working Under She'll
Fire Is No Joke
HAD ENOUGH GERMANY

The following interesting letter from
Ellis Crissman to his parents in this
city indicates very plainly that .he
boys who were not sent across the wa
ter to fight the descipable Hun haze
nothing to worry over, but should count
themselves fortunate that they escaped
that experience. Not that Ellis es-
pecially regrets that the fates decreed
that he, along with a lot of others,
should go across-he would be willing
to go again if the need should arise,-
but now that the boys have done their
duty and the war is over, they are
more than ready and anxious to come
home-to the greatest and best land
under the shining sun:
Rittersdorf, Germany
Jan. 26, 1919,
Dearest Mother, Wife, Father and
Sister:
I was made happy again today by
the receipt of two dandy good letters,
one from Mother and one from Evelyn.
l was sure glad to get them. I was so
glad to know that you folks were all
well and wish / could be there with
you. Perhaps we will come home soon
I do hope so.
should like to be at home while so
many of the boys are coming from the
camps. However, we must stay here
for while longer, l guess. | would
like to have been there for the Fire
men 5 ball and to have helped make 1t
success
l thought Phil Gallo had joined the
regular army. You told of his having
expressed his regret at not having been
sent to France Tell him for me that
he should be well pleased that he did
not get to come over here. l would
give almost anything to be able to be
in Glenwood and let him come to this
awful country in my place. OF course
the experience during the war was won
derful, but we fellows who were at
the front never knew whether or not
we would live to see the dawn of the
next day The nervous strain was
awful
| have crawled into my blankets
hungry as bear and unable to get
night many nights under heavy shell
fire on lines that were being shot out
almost as fast as we could fix them.
Believe me, it is no picnic to have to
work in shell fire and never dare to
make a light for fear of drawing the
enemy's fire and being bumped off. -
Neither is it any picnic to be walking
through place the enemy has gasscd
heavily and having to wear one of
those uncomfortable gas masks. OF
course we did not dare to try to &c
through gas without our masks because
few good breaths of this gas means
another name on the already long cas-
ualty lists. L have had my smoking
tobacco ruined with gas 80 that could
taste the gas every time / took u
smoke. Perhaps Phil Gallo is sorry lie
missed all this but l am sure he would
be like all the other fellows who have
been through it and say that once il
enough.
We fellows are all quite careful
about the things we say in our letter.
because they are still being censored
but we will bring some stories homt
with us that we have never written il
our letters. The stories will all keeI
until we get home then you can judge
for yourself whether or not we have
had picnic cover Here"
Believe me, we are all anxious to ge
ont of Germany and back to the hom'
we love 30 dearly and to resume ou
lives again as men.
Ny foot is getting along nicely nov
and will be all o. k. in a very few
days. The doctor dressed it again thi
morning and painted it we'll with 10
. dino. Say! but it did burn. cha
hai'
When I saw J. Breen he was in
\ little French town shout five mile
west Of the Meuse river. I have NO
!. seen hin again since coming to 0sg