Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-06
OUR BOYS
OUR cOuNTRY'S SERVICE

OUR c0uNTRY'S SERVICE /
The following letter received by
William Biaisdcu OF West Sidney
from his son, Joseph T. Blaisdell who
is with the American Expeditionary
Forces in France
l-aCourtine, France.
November "a, 1918.
Dear Father:
To-Day has been selected as the day
on which We should all write to faith
er, SO ! am trying to tell something
OF interest about my life here l have
seen quite a bit of France since
landed al Rrest. and it is beautiful!
country, fertile and dotted with
small villages over the entire surface
The people are behind the times in
ways. but We cannot help ad-
HlTing them and their wonderful pa
tliotlsm. Well, We fellows got over
here just in time to say. that We got
TO France and that is about all, for
the armistice was signed soon after,
and l guess that jus, about finishes
II. There was a great celebration
around here. and even the German
prisoners were happy. We saw many
Of them and they are kept busy all
the time.
/ did not see any of the front and
60 not expect 10 now, but IL is not my
fault. as was willing and anxious to
come whenever Uncle Sam should
send me. But now that it is over.
am anxious 10 get home again and
shall surely be happy when l start
for the L. 5. again. ! have Travelled
SO far in a dinky little box car that
jolted along as if it were going over
a ploughed field. l am in hopes to
get back in time 70 spend the sum-
nser vacation with you anyway. 1t
hardly seems possible that ! have
been gone nearly q year. but il has
been year filled with action and
new experiences and now am proud
or than ever to be soldier in the
army which has humbled and Licked
TO {, fragile Germany, the greatest
military power of all time. For The
AoI'iS9 o'o ~ t-i0 coi eAliASo tSdHA1t AIiA I
without tine L. S. they would have
been beaten. And SO this is happy
THANKSGIVING for all the world and
for US over here especially.
Well. father. this is supposed to be
a Christmas letter 10 you. l wish
that I might send you all scmethin &
but perhaps this will be as acceptable
-
may spend next Christmas with you.
l hope that this will find YOU well
and fully recovered from the 'nu. ]
never felt better in my life. We
have good food. plenty Of it. and a
good place TO sleep and you cannot
ask for much more. Now I am anx-
ious to get home, and sleep in real
bed and eat one Of mothers good
meals once more.
Well, father. I DO not seem TO think
of very much more TO write YOU just
now except to wish you and all the
family q Merry Christmas and very
Happy New Year.
With love TO ali and lots to yourself
am, your loving son.
EVERETT
p. 81 can tell YOU more when /
get home and can talk with you. l
forgot TO tell you We are about three
miles from town, and our camps are
among the hills in a place which very
much resembles the country around
home. am working in the chart
room Of our company anc ] Ike the
work very much SO far. This Is rath-
er 4 poor letter hut ii is your victory
letter anyway and l shall bc happy
when l can tell you the whole Won
Ierful story myself
The following letter has been re-
ccived by w. r.. Blaisde,l Of 314 Wa
ter street, Hallowell. from his son,
Lieut. a. W Blaisdel. VINO is with
the 56th Pioneer Infantry:
France, Nov. "a, 1918.
! Dear Dad:
This is Fathers Day" so I will
try and write you j few lines al
though this is pretty short. We are
on our way to Germany and have
been on the march for five days and
it will probably take US five days
longer. We came from Dun-sur- Meuse
! where the Germans made their last
stand and now we are at Petang".
Luxembourg which is a good sized city
and quite Il lively place. 1t was held
by the Germans for four years and is
really more like Germany than
France
The people speak about all German
and the schools are all German. 1t is
quite a job TO make the march
through as we have TO haul our "a :
tions by trucks about s" miles as the
| RAILROADS have been torn up and 1t
will take some time to fix them.
j I expect to leave this morning for
Marseilles in the southern part OF
France to &c, three trucks and will
pct yrohob;,- rot hack with regime mt