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Dear Dad:-
Just wrote to mother last evening and as I have a little time now I
thought maybe you would be glad to hear from me. That is, I mean, a letter
addressed to you. I know that you all share my letters and I try to I
write them so as to include you all. It is very warm here now when the sun
is shining and it usually is except for an occasional shower. It rains
here easier than any place I've ever seen. Of course, there is a reason
for that. I'm sorry to hear that you are not getting steady work but I
hope that you are having enough paydays to keep ends meeting. I've seen so
many things, dad, that it would take pages to tell you about them. Many
things of many different kinds. One thing I have wished an hundred times
you could witness and that is artillery of cavalry on the march. Talk
about horses. The best horses from all parts of the world are here, I
think. The French are very partial to the Arabian mounts and the English
ride these big lanky kind, I don't know what breed, but they are easy
sixteen hands and very thin. Our soldiers ride any kind. It don't matter
what stock. If you want to see a funny sight you should see a Frenchman
trying to persuade four or six Yankee mules to do what he wants. They
jabber and gesticulate and the “jackhead” don’t move. But when one of our
"muleskinners” comes along and opens up on them with a string as long as
your arm you can fairly see them lay their ears back. Uncle Jock would be
at home on that job.
The great armies of today are some sight when they are on a move. Miles of
trucks filled with men & supplies. Blacksmith shops, machines shops,
kitchens, power plants all on trucks and then many more miles of horse
drawn supply wagons, guns, etc. Most of the ground is covered at night now
and we see some exciting times. Its move, move, move all the time. We
don't carry anything except what we really must, and any soldier can tell
you, that is enough. All I have left is the blanket you bought for me
(it’s a dandy and twice as warm as the issued ones) one towell, (sic)
safety razor, socks, and a Red Cross sweater. That is personal stuff, now
imagine your skinny heir carrying in addition a four pound hat on his
head, mess kit, rifle and side arms, gas mask, one hundred and fifty
rounds of ammunition and a dog tent, pole and pins. How’s that? I can
carry them with ease now though at first it got me in the shoulders and
neck. Carried that load twelve miles only yesterday and finished the march
not half so tired as when I would finish a turn of eight to four after
being out all night.
We are feeling fine now only I lost out on my tea again. Nothing but
coffee and I can't drink that. Coffee and cheese are the only two things I
can’t go. Tried the wines & beer when I first came over but found out as
Gibson says that there is nothing to them but a belly-ache. The wine is
just like unsweetened grape juice and the beer is made in the morning and
sold that night so you imagine how good that would be. These French found
the 'Yanks' to be an easy target right at the offset. Gibson writes me
saying that after they had been here a while they found that the natives
were making the champagne and stuff out of a chemical. Any soldier can buy
liquor but us and they won’t allow them to sell it. Once in a while the
YMCA gets in a supply of Cocoa and chocolate and that is my chance.
Make it myself with condensed milk. We have had a fine YMCA with us all
the time now and a good scout running it. He is a boxer and was a
professional wrestler at one time. He is a Billy Sunday convert and can
tell some good stories, regular guy and stands in with the boys. I’ve seen
everything I started out to see and a thousand more instances. Some of
them make a fellow think in spite of all his own petty philosophy and
there is no doubt in my mind that there is One who watches both sides
through it all and that He is also pulling for us. You know when you stand
by and see fellows just as hard and just as strong as the best laid away
with only a few words from the chaplain and in some spot by themselves
with only a little wooden cross bearing a lead plate with their name,
number and rank on it, you don't just forget it in an hour or so.
Have you noticed in the reports how we and the French have this German
bunch backing up? We got them licked to a frazzle, dad, and the German
soldier knows it. These Frenchmen are wonderful fighters. They go about it
just like a days work. No fuss nor excitement. You can watch one of their
gun crews at work and you won't see any more excitement than watching a
pair heater charging the furnace. Just work like your crew does in the
mill.
When you see Newman tell him that I am going to write soon as I can and,
by the way, who eats his wife's cake now? I couldn’t do a thing to the
bucket of his right now. I'd take what I wanted and never ask. Guess Frank
Heinza is on his way by this time, isn’t he? Give my best to Mr. Slaughter
and when I come back we will have this battle front down right he can bet
on that. Hope you don’t suffer from your old wound anymore and, believe me
dad, you were right more than once. I can see clearly now and the false
air of importance that I once cherished has all vanished in the last few
months. Tell Mother and Grace that you are to deliver my love with a hug
and kiss and I'm going to write Aunt Annie and Lib soon. Best love! "Au
revoir"
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