Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-04
Omahan Tells How Clothes
Froze on Soldiers Bodies
Germans in Occupied Territory
Made Friends With Yanks,
Writes H. C. Lawson
to His Father.

The life of the average American
soldier in France and with the army
of occupation in Germany is interest
ingly described in a seres of letters
from Homer c. Lawson, now sta
toned at Bleialf, Germany. to his
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. c. s. Lawson,
1921 Harvey street.
Private Lawson has spent nearly
four months on the active fighting
front and was engaged in the St.
Mihiel and Argonne forest drives.
He enlisted in September, 1917,
and was placed in a medical COM
pany attached to the 89th division,
S4lst machine gun battalion, Com
pany 3. He is stretcher bearer and
first-aid man.
Student of Nebraska u.
Before his enlistment Mr.. Lawson
was student at the Nebraska uni
versity. At the time of his enlist
ment Mr.. Lawson had just COM
pleted two years of medical work
at Lincoln, Neb., and was ready to
enter the university medical school
in Omaha.
According to Mr.. Lawson, The
Omaha Bee is received by his whole
regiment and the boys are cheered
and delighted to be able to get some
news from home through The Bee.
~ A letter to his father written No
vember 10 reads in part:
Il have just arrived at La Bour-
boule, one of the historic summer
resorts of France. / got in at dark,
just in time for supper.
Had Rooms in Hotel.
This is going to be one of the big
weeks Of my experience. Everything
is paid for by the government and
everyone has his room at this hotel.
It's a magnificent place, located
about $50 miles directly south of
Paris and at the foot of the Alps.
After supper we strolled out to
the Y. M. c. A. in the big casino
and heard band concert, saw Amer
lean vaudeville and had a real good
time. It's like being civilized again.
There are many mountains
around here and we are planning
some trips up the excursion trails" "
In another letter, dated November
20, reads:
I'VE had a great time at La Bour-
boule on our vacation and we were
ali ready for a new job.
I'VE sure came in strong on the
finish in the big excitement.
At Front for 31a Months.
1--WE were at the front for three
and half months only being in the
rear on the way from one front to
another.
After the St. Mihiel drive we oc-
cupied the lines there till October Z.
I hen we went over to the Argonne
region. We helped take the Bauthe-
vile woods and were in on the big
final drive.
ION the night Of November 10 we
went up to a position near rail-
road track to put machine gun bar
rage into town occupied by Jerry.
The roads were under 10 inches OF
mud and it was still raining. Later
it got cold and our clothes started
to freeze. We had to be very quiet
and careful as Fritz was only a few
hundred yards away.
about 2 a. m. orders came not
to fire. This was a good thing tor
if we had opened up Jerry would
have shelled us to smithereens.
Sat daybreak the company COM
mander gave the order to pack up
and retreat to town about halt
mile back.
Armistice Day.
AT II a. m. November II the FIR
ing ceased. We were so tired that
ali we could say was, yes, that's
nice" and then we went to sleep.
Before long, however, we were
also celebrating the signing OF the
armistice. We were moved into the
recently captured town of Steny and
quartered in an old chateau.
From a muddy shell hole to a
room in a chateau is a big jump.
This bunch will go crazy when
they see the Statue of Liberty and