The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-02-18
MARINES TALE
OF NICARACUAN
LIFE THRILLS
HerScheII Carter, Writing
Relatives Here, Tells
of Battle.

Graphic description of Marine
fighting in Nicaragua and of COLI
ditionS surrounding the Marine at
tack of SANDING, formed part of a
letter forwarded to Miss Mary B.
Carter, TIT Bellfontaine ST., great
aunt OF HerscheI Carter, 10, La
tonia, Ky, by Carter who is seeing
service. The young Marine, who is
the only grandson of w. E. Carter,
OF the same address, enlisted in the
u. s Marines Corps about nine
months ago, trained at Paris Island
and Newport News and was shipped
to Nicaragua on the u. S. S.
Rochester.
The letter, headed "Managua,
Nicaragua, January ID, 1928" fol-
lows:
1--WE sure have been busy lately
as you must have noticed in the
papers, for 1 am now in the heart
of the revolution. I am getting the
thrill of my life and I don't mean
perhaps
Troops in Hills.
II am writing this about 1870 miles
out in the hills where we have the
perpetratOr and his whole army sur
Notwithstanding himself. He has
about $4,000 men with him and is
situated Oh top of one of the largest
mountains in this part of the coun-
try. He has hand grenades, ma
chine guns and all other Mnall arms,
which have been struggled in
through Mexico to him, SO you see
We have quite a job in front of
us to get him out of his stronghold.
There are only 900 of us here
at the present time but we expect
1000 more sometime next week.
Many Marines Slain
There have been plenty of ma
rines killed so far and about 80
wounded, but not seriously They
are shot through the arm or leg and
will pull through all right. The rea-
son for so many being killed or in
jured is that they are getting us
from ambush and they are so far
above us that we can hardly locate
them. All we are sure of is that
they are up there. but we have got
ten our share Of them, also. AS
far as we can ascertain they have
about 800 killed and half as many
injured. I am sure that I have
accounted for at least four of them.
I know it is nothing to brag about
but they shot a "Buddie" of mine
in the shoulder, and I am sure
going to get revenge.
Troops Sleep on Ground
eve are sleeping on the ground
with nothing but the stars over us,
and eating nothing but bareback
and corn bill" There is no water
around so we each get one canteen
full every second day. I have not
shaved for two weeks, because of
the scarcity of water and it has been
three days since I washed my hands
and face. You would disown me if
you could see me now for I sure
do look like tramp.
st Away liked to camp out-aS
you know-but sure didn't think I'd
camp out like this and enjoy it. /
am getting a kick out of it, eSpe-
cially the mosquitoes. (Here follows
a drawing Of an enormous insert)
Not much of an artist, but this is
what they look like at a hundred
yards. You can imagine what they
feel like. All you hear at night is
slap, crack and few rifle shots.
Hope Be Home Soon
Major General LeJeune, COM
mander-in-gen of the Marine
Corps is to arrive tomorrow and I
think things will start popping
They expect him to give orders for
the two Fokker bomberS to run San
dinos men out of the hills. 1t will
be all over with them, and back
to the ship we will go.
eff the rumor that has been go
ing around is true, will get home
after all. They say we are going
to be in New York the tenth of
February if things are cleared up
here in time. I am most certain
they will be-"