Show m n BUNCH OF OVERSEA aft LETTERS n S erria i i FROM ROBT dibon france feb ath 1919 dearest mother alother I 1 received my certificate last monday stating my eligibility for a commission yesterday evening we left fort da la bonnelle for a seven day leave at Cha a winter resort in the alps near both the swiss and italian borders leaving langres landres in our familiar 40 hommes 8 we arrived here at midnight and had to lay over until this evening to get our train out we spent the remainder of the night or rather morning in the red cross canteen and today we lia had a chance to see something of the city I 1 apa am really glad we had to wait for or this is a wonderful city it is not at all like the others I 1 have seen and I 1 could enjoy myself thoroughly it if I 1 spent my entire leave here in spite of rainy weather I 1 have seen the beautiful churche churchs and public buildings and parks you will be glad to know that I 1 had second highest rating in the company and that the instructor gave me with a few others a separate letter of 0 ill send you a c opy copy later at the expiration ot of my leave 1 am to report to the depot division for assignment reassignment re that is not very definite but it is all I 1 know myself I 1 believe the depot division is stationed near tours so at least I 1 am still seeing france but in a very different way than six months p ago go I 1 expect to reach mix tomorrow and will write more fully from there the red cross canteen here is certainly a big help A place to rest read write and eat at all hours and their prices are almost nil for what they serve only a few of my company came with this bunch the others are to follow later I 1 am enjoying the trip immensely hope all of you are well and send bushels of ove to all from rom your loving son BOB 0 0 0 FROM ELLIOTT crittenden ernst Gerni germany any jan 25 19 dear folks have received recel vec several letters lately also xmas cards I 1 was sure glad to get the pi picture cuye think it the best you ever had taken lalen I 1 received the letter with the frog rog skin kin in those od green backs look good to the side of the french money we were comparing them with will some dutch billed and a little dutch girl ask what we called them we told glicr they were green backs and alen they get dirty we wash them I 1 can a little dutch and she can call linder understand uno lino der stand a a little english and s so 0 by ly a few gesters I 1 made her understand all about american money I 1 still have a dollar bill you sent asti august received a card the other day it was addressed to co IT II went ill all over the regiment before it came here we have a line fine Y al C A here now so expect we will soon move on as that is the way we generally do as we me get things real comfort able I 1 wrote to ralph the other day but suppose he be will be home by now or at least I 1 hope so you have asked many time what division I 1 belong to well they call it the fighting ath division among the first to come over and last to get home by the I 1 way things look well news is scarce so I 1 will close hoping to find you all well I 1 am feeling fine myself never felt better since I 1 joined the army with love ELLIOTT P S received the xmas box and everything was waa just fine 0 0 FROM C D PAPAS many of our readers will vill remember C D papas manager of stevens Steven brothers business house lower maini main street they will all regret to the young man Is in bad shape at present being in the U S A debarkation I 1 hospital no 2 9 slaten island N Y tuesday of this week the following letter was received from him by I 1 mr air A P ridge feb 1919 dear sir received your fam ilys regards in the telegram and nd was glad to hear fromi rom a good hearty family i well mr air ridge when I 1 crossed for france fr nce I 1 was transferred to one of the best lighting fighting divier divisions ons no 4 42 9 1 rainbow division so I 1 spend all ot of I 1 my time in france under the german firmand fire and when the armistice was sign edi thought I 1 was very likely to come out with my hands feet and eyes but while advancing on the rhine river as occupation army of germany the day of december I 1 took sick and I 1 was down with high fever then with influenza and worse than all was stricken with tuberculosis so you see I 1 had a hard seigel and have been in bed so long I 1 got weak and I 1 can tell you I 1 am a very sick man at the present time well I 1 think this is about all I 1 know my best re regards Cards to every one of your tarn fam ily respectfully yours I 1 j C D PAPAS I 1 0 0 0 1 rno M w c dear brother and sister just a few lines and hope you are all well as it finds me getting along fairly well at present I 1 expect to be on my way home any day now am now waiting to leave well ill have lots to tell you about when I 1 get back so will not write much tonight believe me I 1 am glad its over I 1 had eight months at the front and I 1 dont ever want to go through another eight months like em I 1 saw my first snow this year today and that was just a few flakes but its colder than blue blazes well I 1 will have to close tor for this time give my love and best wishes to all the folks and accept the same yourselves I 1 remain your loving brother W C QUIGLEY dont write will be home or on my way before it could reach me 0 0 0 PRO IRO MJ ij W feb ath 1919 dear father just received your letter etter tonight to night was ve very I 1 y glad to hear from I 1 I 1 I 1 have received your box I 1 thank you very much tor for same I 1 have writ ten you since at a burg I 1 had re calved your xmas present it sure tasted very good to me I 1 thank youl you very much tor for your suggestion to send me some cigars out but I 1 dont I 1 think you had better for or it if all goes well I 1 believe I 1 will soon be on the road and I 1 get them that would make me mad up in belgium we could get cigars of fair air quality but down here you cant get any thing outside of a jag A young lady in seattle gave me a nice cigar holder I 1 carried over to france all through the angrone murse battles got to belgium without every using it I 1 then bought a box ot of cigars to smoke and ill be blessed it if I 1 loose it after the first firs t smoke I 1 took it sure made me s sore ore well the weather is very cold over h here ere but it is not as bad as it if we were in the trenches then I 1 had a feather bed that is very hard to take standing reveller is out of 0 the question I 1 got a letter from my boss boas the other day which was very nice also one from toy my girl in the Lake which was anicetoo nice too gee it la is good to hear from folks at home and every one has got their thoughts the same way and that is to get home once more I 1 dont know what I 1 will do do with myself when there are no orders to obey and no dirty dishes to wash atter after you get through eating I 1 want to eat an awful big meal then sit back with a good cigar in my mouth with no dishes to do no saluting to do when any one comes around then I 1 am going to get ft big pile of wood and make a big fire so I 1 can sit by it and enjoy it without being smoked out every time we get a fire going here wo we have to open the door or smother to death it if we are not smoked out why it is because the fire is out so you see we have lots of 0 troubles well father there Is no news and as I 1 am sleepy will say good night with best beat wishes to you as ever JAS W 0 0 0 MOKE 1 PROM WID monte carlo jan 1919 dear mother and alt ali well we are here after five days of travel on all kinds or trains and I 1 must mast say that monte carlo is a very beautiful place I 1 cant describe it for there are no words in the english or french language that will voll tell what a beautiful place it is we play two concerts a day here one in the 1 orning morning and one in the afternoon one day and the next day we play one in thu tho afternoon and one in the evening I 1 was vas through the casino this morning of 0 course there was no gambling going on but I 1 went in the same door that many a millionaire has gone through and came out the same door he did after going broke I 1 went in broke and came out the same way tomorrow we are going to visit the prince of Mo Alo castle it 1 is a way up on oa the side of 0 the mountain I 1 can call see it from one of the windows of 0 my room and from the other window I 1 can look for thousands of 0 miles out over the mediterranean sea we are staying at the bargl st hotel in monte carlo and all of our expenses are paid by ance sam it makes one feel that ifor 1 11 I life vas as worth i 1 living not long ago we know but what one of those G 1 I cans or big shells in other words had our number tied to it the way they gouid would whistle over our heads and burst when they landed I 1 thought ink my time had come all that stuff is over with now and forgotten by most ot of the people here I 1 have never seen so many beautiful omen in my life I 1 know france had any I 1 think they are all down here the only trouble is we cant talk to them it if we do they dont know any more elvit hat we say than we do when they try to talk to us our concert this afternoon is down on the shore all I 1 wish is that I 1 had you with me to see this wonderful dreamland I 1 dont know how long we will be here we came tor for ten days but the officer in charge said we were the best band in the U S army and we were told this morning we were to be here three months I 1 mind staying alre baci e till we are called home which I 1 hope wont be very long well it Is time for concert so must get busy WID the fo following Howing poem wa was s found by wid and he sent it along with his letter it makes 9 good reading following his big good letter I 1 THE I windjammers i by harold willard gleason Glea aon I 1 they sin sing g the praise of infantry which messes up the huns I 1 an also of artillery that works the bloomin guns the engineers an cavalry an aviators too all get their share of 0 glory an they earn it very true but theres one branch of 0 the service they never think to praise though de deservio servin it by pershing in a hundred different ways chorus charns its the windjammers the windham mers the regimental bands an its many men are ara th ankin god for some bass drummers hands for they help to carry wounded when the bearers aint about when you get yours yo urs in no maasland Mans Land continued on PP page 90 seven the Windi windjammers ammers continued from pago ono its blowhards blow hards pulls you out a scraggy lookin outfit of all sizes sorts and shapes an their mouths are mostly puckered li like ke batin so sour grapes but they cheer us to the trenches through the shrapnel ne i mud loud an rain an when our bit is over sure they play us back again Cli morns oh ch the windjammers the windham mers the regimental bands you can see the shoulders straighten As we pass the blowhards blow hards stands they may not snipe the an they may not cross the top but when chearo ch eero stuff is needed they keep till they drop |