The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-03
PVT. CASTONGUAY
WRITES HIS FATHER
Had Plenty of Excitement Crossing
the Ocean

Had Plenty of Excitement Crossing
the Ocean
Private Horace ]. Castonguay wrote
the following Christmas letter to his
father:
st. Jean De Monts, France
Dear Dad:
This is Dads Christmas Letter Day
for US boys over here, and you may be
sure you will not be forgotten by your
soldier boy over here.
As we have the liberty of writing a
little more about our army life in
France / am going to try to make it
a real Dads letter and tell you few
of the incidents since l left the good
old U. S.&A.
My company and regiment left
Camp Green July 10, 1918, for Camp
Upton where we stayed couple Of
days and then went on board the big
ship which took us safely across the
pond. Until then there wasn't any,
thing very interesting for me to see as
| had been in all these places before.
But here is where the big show starts.
We left the dock about $50 p. nl.
can see the Statute of Liberty disap-
pearing yet, and as our ship was no
world beater | had a good chance to
see it disappear very slowly. We went
to Halifax to meet the rest of the con-
voy as there were about 25 ships that
crossed at this same time
We were II days on the water.
found that Albert Emmons and other
st. J. boys were in some of the ships
but could not see them.l | was III
hopes of meeting them where we
would land, but the convoy was brok
en- up a day before landing and that
is the last | heard of him since we
all landed safely. The trip was a
good one as the weather was fine and
the ocean was calm all the way over.
1t was cold, though, but that did not
trouble me as | am used to cold
weather.
The day before landing we had a
little excitement. We had our first
experience and really saw that there
was a war Oh. For we were attacked
by few submarines. 1t was great
to see the sub chasers go after them
1t did not last very long as the chas-
ers who were escorting us in done
away mighty quick with them. The
next afternoon we landed at Liver
pool. 1t felt mighty nice to again
walk on land after being ON the ship
for so long d time. We stayed one
night and then went on to South
Hampton for a few days at rest
camp. were greeted by all the
people as we went thru the streets OF
England. Then we left for France
and few more days of rest and then
to this camp where have been the
last four months. The town is about
as large as Passumpsic, but it is al
together different in the ways OF llv-
ing over here. There is nice avia-
Aon field here and have seen some
classy flying and was also up to tickle
the Angels feet few times myself.
1t is great to go up in an airplane.
You are certainly travelling some,
when you leave the ground. There is
no Chief to stop you because
you are breaking the speed limit You
can tell the world that good old Uncle
Sam has some mighty good aviators.
This field put out money for the front
during the big drive. have not been
up for some time now. | am tele-
phone operator and keep plugging at
the switchboard all day and a few
nights during the week as all good
telephone girls do, when on duty.
am in hopes these few Incidents
viii interest you till you see me again.
| remain as ever,
Your son,
HORACE
nth Co. a tn Reg, A. e. T.