The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-02-27

Dear Mother
| ! know you have not heard from me
| for some time. but If you could see
where | have been and see what l
/ have been doing for the past four
weeks You would understand why |
| have moi written | have seen nothing
! but mud. water. shell holes. dead men
dead horses, ruined towns. ruined for
ests, abandoned war equipment. etc
until ] am sick of it
You notice where | am writing from.
/ Well, | happen to be one OF the lucky
ones out OF Co. c that got seven day
| pass 10 visit this CITY. Seven days TO
roam around this town on Uncle Sans
expense. Just vacation. Last night
I slept in a real bed for the first time
in good while. That is very different
from hiking all day with $50 pounds
on your back and going to bed at
night With no dinner or supper, sleep
ing on mud that freezes your tent to
the ground before morning, getting
up at from A. NJ. to A. NJ, rolling
your pack and starting after the Ger
mans again.
Sometimes We could only connect
/ With the rolling kitchen once and
sometimes twice in twentY=four hours.
Once We had nothing To eat for a day
and two nights. had to drop out Of
ranks for a half an hour To eat Il can
! of corned beef | had heen carrying
! for lust such an emergency My
knees got to trembling and | had 20
/ eat.
| All this time the artillery lombard
ed the Germans and we chased them.
| am an automatic gunner and so have
to carry an automatic rifle and POO
rounds of ammunition also an auto
matte pistol and automatic magazines
for the rifle besides my pack and it is
some load, especially when the blan-
kets are wet as they always are. II
was $50 pounds or more.
Well. came through all right. |
am on pass and the rest OF the COM
pany are making a fifteen day hike
across France, | believe in the gener-
al direction of home. ! am going to
miss the hike. thank goodness. | had
| to turn my automatic rifle over to my
| first ammunition carrier Poor fell
! low don't know how he will make
out. but | was the mule for a good
while.
The New York papers printed an
article on the wonderful march the
| 9th division made 1t is also called
! the star Division" We are going to
get red stars to wear on the left arm.
| don't believe any other army
would make such a drive, but Uncle
Sam said keep it going. We kept go
! ing farther and farther away from
the railroad and supplics-farther in
to desolation every day after the Ger
mans. But in spite of blocked roads
shortage of food etc. Uncle Sam said
keep going" We all know the result
now. and are glad we kept going
although it was the limit while it
| lasted
Well, hope 1t won't be long before
we cross the Atlantic. | am going TO
have it easy for these seven days at
least. This is a very pretty city. The
Y. NJ. C. A. here is a dandy. | just
had a plate of cake, whipped cream,
| baked apple, bread and jam, etc.
Some different from corncd beef and
/ hard tack or STUN and bread.
The Sixth Division has been on
practically every front in France and
we made them all on foot ! notice
l. said some Of the boys have
been writing home. Well they must
be In the hospital. as any man who
has stayed with the Division has had
precious little opportunity to write.
| There are no mail boxes In No Mans
Land
With love,