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Dearest Mother and Family:-
Still we linger. Our winter is over, it seems, for we are again dwelling
in a land of rain and mud. It was nice when we had snow although rather
chilly at times. Something happened the other day that relieved the
monotony for a time and gave the lucky "birds" more cause to be thankful.
We had gone by truck to a small town some fifteen kilos from here to
participate in one of our numerous maneuvers. The roads were very slippery
and we were going without chains. We made the trip over without any
trouble but coming back we skidded and hit a large tree broadside. There
were thirty of us aboard along with wire, telephones. etc. Well when we
hit the first thing that happened was that we all got a fine crack on the
head by the top coming down. Several fellows are cut up some. We began to
unload and everyone was able to navigate but one fellow. He was the victim
of a busted hip and shoulder and hurt inwardly. We were working with him
and waiting for the ambulance when another guy discovered he couldn't use
his left arm. When the doctor came he found it was only broken in two
places. You can't imagine how happy he was at the news for he had gone
through every battle and had never been wounded. His language was
beautiful! Several fellows had mashed fingers and bruises but the most of
us got out with a bust on the dome. Lucky again!
Yesterday I spent at the 110th Supply Co. with Art and Eddie and Fratz. I
went to Div. Hdq. Sat to see a football game between our Div. team and the
19th. Both Pa. Div. and the game was played in six inches of mud to a tie.
I saw several guys I knew including Capt. Lietzel with his new leather
coat and a Red Cross nurse on his arm. He looks as nuts as ever. He had a
camera over his shoulder and I wanted Fratz to ask to be allowed to take
his picture with the fair one. Souvenir for Matty you know.
Fratz and I then went out to see the others and learned from them of the
didos cut by our old friends F .V. Perry and Bert Reynolds. Eddie has all
that dope and sorry as we felt to hear of it we had to at last join in a
hearty laugh all around. You see we hold these directors meetings every so
often and summarize the news. By the way we went to church also. There is
only one kind over here but the service does a fellow good even tho it is
not his creed. We have a pretty good time talking over old times.
I came through the town where Graft was billeted but as I was freighting
my way of trucks and they were scarce I didn't get off. I am about twenty
miles from the other fellows.
When I came back I found your letter of Jan. 24th waiting to be read. It
was full of news and I was particularly impressed to hear about Frankie
Walker. I would like to have seen him "take cover" about the time dad went
'over the top". The more I hear of guys like that the more I'm in favor of
equal suffrage. We all are when we think of the wonderful work and
sacrifice of our women and not one drafted. Last night a fellow in our
minstrel had a song for guys like that and he got it over by singing and
crying. This was it.
"I want to go home, I want to go home.
Cannons may rumble and cannons may roar, but I don't want to stay here any
more.
Take me over the sea,
where the Germans can't get at me.
Oh my! I'm too young to die.
I want to go home."!
Poor boys! What a life they must
have had in those horrible training camps. I'm glad to hear that some of
the boys are back, tho, because it will help the fair sex to dance while
waiting. So Torrence says that all the soldiers were "stewed". That sounds
possible but say, mother, how do you suppose he stayed conscious in such a
gathering? You know he could fly pretty high before he joined the
aviation.
Yes the prohibition question is still being discussed everywhere in the
A.E.F. and the opinion is that they were the whims of politics. So far as
my views are concerned I am not worrying so long as the hens lay and they
still have butcher shops and groceries, but it is most unfair to force an
issue like it at this time. No one has a better right to the privilege of
citizenship than those who actually fought to protect the government.
However I'll let Taft tell you about that. I'm for and have always voted
prohibition, but I think the method of procedure was decidedly ill timed
and wrong. As an Irishman in our company says; "That's all I have to say,
but" then he goes on for another hour.
I just had a letter from Tuss Hockenberry telling me about Mrs. Brennen
and Sam Ferguson dying. It is too bad! We will miss many faces when we
return. You don't know how I missed Hump when I was watching the game on
Saturday. He was always such a good fan.
I am enclosing another souvenir. It is the list of our citations and I'll
leave the binding and preservation of it to you. I'm still in excellent
condition and am getting to be some cook. I live on potatoes. I fry them,
bake them, mash them and even boil and dress them in milk. I have plenty
of Phila. papers, along with the daily paper and the Stars and Stripes.
I must close now to stand retreat, and I again send all my love to every
one of you.
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