OCR Text |
Show L. T. HASLAM HAS VARIED EXPERIENCE Writes Chronological Account of His Travels and Experiences in Army Since Leaving Cedar. American Army of Occupation, Cob-lenz, Cob-lenz, Germany, Jan. 26, 1910. Mrs. Wm. B. Haslnm, Dear Mother, i 1 am going to try and write an ac-1 count of the most important parts of , ! my travels and experiences since I , left home, up to Jan. 2.0 of this year. 1 As you know I left home on May 25, 1917, arrived in Salt Lake City May 20, 1917. InliMted the same day in the United States army, took the oath and was sworn in on the 28th. On the 29th I dressed in the American uniform. uni-form. On June 4th I left Salt I,ake and arrived in El Paso, Texas, on June tith. From there I went to Fort BIms, Texas, where I took about six weeks training; then on July 24th, I left Ft. Bliss and arrived in Hoboken, N. J., on Aug. 1st. Went aboard ship called Saratoga on the same day. We set sail but were only about three. miles from land when the ship was rammed by another ship and sank in New York harbor, everybody being saved. Then we were sent to Ft. Totcn, N. V., to be re-equipped. We set sail again on Aug. 7, 1917, on the U. S. ship Lenape and crossed the Atlantic ocean in III days, having a fairly good voyage until the last day. when we had a terrible battle with the subma-rines, subma-rines, but managed to land safely on August 20th, at St. Nazairre, France, on Aug. 22nd. We left St. Nuzzaire and arrived at Camp Valdahon. in France, on Aug. 21th, where I took j about nine weeks training, then left for the front for the first time. I at rived i.t the batle front in France Nov 7th, where I got my first experience In real warfare on Nov. 20. I hud two men killed and five woun.ded right beside me. I left the front the following day for winter quarters, arriving at Chassy, France, Nov. 2.1, 1917 I re-ma re-ma ineil at Chassy until January 21, 1918, when I left for Demange France, where I arrived the next day. There I stayed until Feb. 5th, then left for my second trial at the front, where I arrived Feb. 7th, near Mandres, in France. I stayed at the front until April 4th, seeing very little fighting. Then I left for another section of the front, passing through the following good-sized towns; Lucy, Meuse. Chambry, Porcheuse. Albeville. Mai sonseth and landed at Serviller on the ; Picardy front on the 20th of April, ' 1918. There we went into position und experienced some pretty hot lighting, especially artillery duels. On May M we moved about ten miles east on the same front and took up another position at the town of Brayes. This is where the American army gained it.s first TMt IttOtHM, when the first division took the village vil-lage of Cantgney in a five days bat tie; but we took the village and held (Continued on page four.) LAWRENCE T. HASLAM HAS VARIED EXPERIENCE (COntinued from first page) it against eleven German counter attacks at-tacks in the five days. On July 7U I left the Picardy front,! passed through Heydcncourt, Fountain, Foun-tain, Meru, Marsolle, Baron Soicy and hit Cutry on the Rheims-Soissons i front on July 17th. On the morning of July 18th the great drive started that is termed the turning point of the war. We made an advance of 8 kilometers or 5 miles the first day. ! We were in this drive six days and advanced almost to Soissons. We left this front on July 25th and passed through Sowcy, Borest, Pierre. I Mannonville and we hit Martincourt on the Toul front on Aug. 5th. This i was another quiet front, and we snw very litle action. We left this front on August 25th and pased through Mannonville, (Son-drcvilla, (Son-drcvilla, Bullignly. Then we made the great St. Meiehl drive another I big success for the Americans. Then we started the hardest battle of the war. This was about Sept. 1st, and it lasted all through September and October and up to November J lth, the day the armistice was signed, ; still found us fighting. We had been on the front in this drive two whole months and we captured the following follow-ing villages: Bocuq, Beaumont, Pannes, Pan-nes, Nonsard Beacourt, Lempise, Very, Charpintry, Exermont, Fleville, Ber-znncy Ber-znncy and many other towns and some big cities, too numerous to mention, und we also took many thousand prisoners pris-oners and much war material. Then, on Nov. 12th, we started on our victorious march into Germany. We pussed through Nixeville, Etain, ', Eton, Lorraine, Hersperin. These towns are in uncuptured French territory. ter-ritory. Then we entered Luxemburg on Nov. 22, 1918, and in the state of Luxemburg we parsed through Lux emburg city, Mutford, Wasserbilling, then, on Dec. 2nd, we entered Germany, Ger-many, passing through Zewen, Fah-ren, Fah-ren, Esihe, Dorf, Huusendorf, Han-theim, Han-theim, Ridenhaussen, Allstrimming, . Burgen, Dulbich and we hit Coblenz , on Dec. Llth. Then we came to Eit-bborn Eit-bborn and we have been here since that time. We are occupying German territory and have not done unything worth telling of, only that the 1st division passed in review of our division commanders. com-manders. About 40,000 soldiers were together this day and they sure looked fine. Well, mother, I will have to close for this time, with love and best wishes wish-es to all at home, I remain as ever, Your loving son, CI'L. L. T. HASLAM. P, S. I don't think I will be leaving for home before the middle of the summer at the earliest. |