Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-02-26
Extracts From Letters from Delmer
w. Pond

: Extracts From Letters from Delmel
. w. Pond
/, A. E. F., France,
Jan. 81, 1919
My dearest mother and ALL
l guess you will surely think you
are forgotten this time but a thing
like that will never happen as long as
| live. We have been some busy get
ting ready to move and moving and
then getting Strengthened out, so it
has been nearly two weeks since
have really had time to write. Now
the war is over l don't think you
ought to expect a letter quite so
often. The longest ever went with
out writing was from Nov. ~, the
day we left the front line trenches,
to Nov. 25th. We were on the road
hiking ten days and then l was ST.
three days after we landed. / never
told you much about my sickness but
was some sick and believe me it
isn't very nice to be sick in the army
so far away from home.
We left Is-en-Bosegny last Satur-
day morning and hiked ten miles to
the train. We served supper from
the rolling kitchen at five o'clock,
then left the thing by the railroad
track and started out at $50 on the
train. We rode Sunday and Monday
! and till noon Tuesday and landed
| here. The town is called St. Tarnois.
1t is the biggest and best place we
were ever in. There are all kinds of
nice stores and electric lights. They
have moving pictures every night and
a vaudeville show. We have a nice
kitchen furnished with lights. We
have two big ovens in the stove and
it is just fun to cook here. l made
biscuits last night and am going to
again tomorrow. .o q, e.
show and it is ,r. $50; -
last town we w :" r.
this going home "~'>
relief in the ire r''"'
other town and LAX
our place. We ~
others went on to a boat. when
we get relieved we will take the boat.
God only knows when that will be,
but it will be some happy day for me.
1t has been longer since the war,
than while it was going.
I suppose folks will want to know
all about France but what they get
from me won't hurt them. I could
tell more about this war than most
men as have daily diary from the
day left home till now. I have
the name of every town we were in.
have every man killed and wounded
in our company; I have all the drives
and in fact everything. They tell me
my diary is worth hundreds of dol
lars. A number of officers have
copied it, also some privates.
Well, mother, / am tired tonight
but couldn't wait any longer before
writing so l scrubbed this. hope
you can read it. May God bless and
boo" us to meet at Home, Sweet
Homo.
DELMER.
Cook Delmer w. Pond,
Co. G, 102 Inf, A. Z. F.
take care of US, two in the day and
one in the night. They are all from
western states. They use US fine, we
get lots to cat.
| am not in the supply now, I am
in the line, but was not there but
eight days when l was taken sick. I
have not got any mail since I came
here. l have not got the Christine
box you sent yet. We don't get any
mail in the hospital unless some one
brings it to us The way they are
talking now think we will be home
he first of March.
have been through it all and slept
everywhere, in old barns, under wag-
,ns out in the rain and cold, in shell
1Oles and in the dugouts of all kinds
and have not been sick till it was all
over. l was taken sick when I came
rom the Verdun drive; that is where
t finished. 1t was a hard battle but
he Chateau-Thierry and St. Michel
we're fully as bad. The city is torn
% pieces quiet badly, so is Verdun.
The people had to leave their homes
md all the property they had; some
got up from their meals to escape
rom being taken prisoners. This was
n 1914. The Germans held it till
July 10, 1917, and they left in a hur-
y. They were under shell fire for A
hours and guns from inches to %
n diameter and all these shells would
explode when they struck and they
we're from II inches to #. 8 inches
ong.
l have had my share of sickness
his time. had the influenza, pneu-
nonia Of both lungs and pleurisy of
he right side.
I guess this will be all you will
want to read this time so will close.
Keep up your courage and we will
meet again. Good luck and my love
o all