The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-06-24
SOLDIERS LETTERS
verdan, France. Nav II 1919

tooA, riduCc, May IL, 1919.
Dear Father, Brothers and Sisters:
| Today is Mothers day for the boys
in the A. E. F. and l am going to
take time to remind you all of the
love and gratitude l owe you. You
sisters have taken the place of our
dear departed mother, and | want
to again thank you for your motherly
care over me in the past.
. One year ago, | wrote to you, not
far from Verdan, on Mothers day.
Since that time | have passed thru
many hardships, and some suffering.
but your kind letters have always
cheered me up, and l have. done my
bit towards winning the freedom
of the world, patiently and cheer
fully, and you have all helped me,
by writing so many good letters.
| | have been selected to make an
extensive trip thru the battlefield
from Nancy north as far as Lille.
and ! am thankful that my duties
in the army during the eighteen
months in France have been so salts
factory that have been appointed
to look after this important govern
ment business. Last summer / made
similar trip north along the en-
tire battle front, while the fierce bat
ties were raging, and | am thank
full 1t is over, that ! got thru the
i1ghting lines safe, and l will soon
have the happiness Of again meeting
you all, and forgetting some things
have seen over here during the
war, and on this trip.
| left Nancy, France, May Z, ar
rived in Metz, May 8. | saw some
wonderful sights passing over that
battle torn country, and around the
city Of Metz, this was one of the
German strongholds. l arrived in
Verdan, May II. This city is COM
pletely destroyed. They say it is
wonderful under ground, under the
old ruins. l have not been all thru
yet and time will not permit me
to tell you all about it now. | am
very busy and will tell you all about
it when get home.
Reims, May 15.-I suppose that
as you receive these letter from me
from all part Of northern France.
you will wonder what your soldier
boy is doing, travelling so much. All
| can say is / am on government
business which must be kept a Sec
ret now. We do our work and say
nothing. am at this wonderful
city of Reims, where the Germans
failed to gain their point in the
war. The city is badly damaged
by the German shells.
| started on the battle field at
Nancy and followed it up this far:
have visited all important places:
stayed one day and night on No
Mans land. / was in the Argonne
forest two days and one night.
saw sights there that would almost
turn ones blood cold; it would make
any man glad that he never had to
90 there, or any other battle front
during the war. Here and there thru
The Argonne forest we saw many II
dead German soldiers lying on the
ground, uncovered, and hundreds Of
lead horses scattered thru the i
woods The ground was torn I'D by II
he thousands of shells; war imple-
ments, barb wire, uprooted trees,
lead men and horses, big and small
guns, ETC., were scattered and massed
possible to get thru in places. We
Wished for our gas masks, as the
dor of human and horse flesh was |
Utmost more than we could stand, II
tut we had to make the best of it |
md tend to duty. The first evening II
n the woods, we sat down to eat HI
'ur lunch in sight of twelve dead HI
lorses and few dead men the flies II
we're so bad had to wave'a handker-
hief in front of my face with one
land and eat with the other hand | II
hat night we slept in an army tent
nd enjoyed the rest after the hard II
avs travel. We had to walk all the
1ay thru the wood, as there is no II
Their way to get thru the wreckage. II
When we did get thru to the railroad, :
7e enjoyed the ride, but still had a
ard time getting along. as the roads
'ere blown up and but little of it
as been rebuilt.
! 60 from here to scissors, St,
!uinten, Arras, Lens and Lille, then
ack thru Chateau-Thierry, Ver-
allies and Paris and on to my head
uarters, then hope to receive
rders to pack up and sail for dear
Id U. s. A., the dearest spot on
arth, Home, sweet home," to again
Jingle with the dear ones that /
ut over twenty-one months ago, to
o over here to struggle for the
reedom of the world, and to make
a better dwelling place for man
ind and future generations.
Love from your son and brother,
FLOY PETERSON.