Show siad he is serving under old glory somewhere in france jan 28 1918 dear editor I 1 have begun to reldie the washington county news which my aunt mrs sarah wood has for for roe no one has subscribed for this piper for you it 13 being sent free to ill dixie soldier boys editor and I 1 must say thit I 1 am more than glad to get it if you only knew what it means to receive the home paper way over here nothing like knowing what is going on in your home town my home is in hurricane I 1 was in baker oregon at the time of my enlistment I 1 sailed across the pond with the engineer ry co which I 1 am still I 1 have seen in your paper several interesting letters from different soldier boys explaining camp life so I 1 thought I 1 might interest you in this letter I 1 enlisted at the first call for volunteers in the medical department and was sent to Fort Lawton wash about eight miles out of seattle a beautiful fort overlooking puget sound from there I 1 was sent to am lake where camp lewis is now when we mobilized there was no cantonment there I 1 guess there is no use of describing am I 1 ake to you as no doubt you hear from there every day from there we left for france where I 1 am writing this letter it has been almost six months now since we left the U S it seems longer than that to me but of course a person gets that way once in a while I 1 would like to explain to you what we are doing but the censor forbids it I 1 will say this much that this regiment has a great responsibility on its shoulders a task worth glorying in the engineers is made up of efficient railway men from oregon washington and california a very bright and nice bunch of boys to be with we print a regimental paper called the I 1 will send you one of the next issue that cornea out we are all in good health and spirits at the time of this writing the difference in traveling here and in the U S is surprising instead of four wheel wagons like you have there they have big two wheel cats but splendid big horses henra ford is well represented here and take it from me you have got to hand it to the ford when it comes to abbu lance work they seem to go any where here and they can make good time too tobacco is awful scarce over here and french tobacco is awful bard to take but thanks to the girls honor club in the states we receive plenty of americans to bacco we have not had very severe weather here so far the climate is almost the sime as southern utah say I 1 but it would be a treat to go to a good dance where there are american girls there are no dances here roller skating but not very good floors I 1 have met many utah boys since I 1 have been over here they came over after I 1 did and I 1 sure enjoyed talking to them the YM C A is doing good work but gee the prices 1 I 1 have received many letters from friends ID that part of the country and a good many of them are attending school at the dixie they all speak of fat george growing into a prosperous town and al 0 hurricane I 1 speak of hurricane mostly as I 1 am a hurricane boy and I 1 am greatly interested in its future I 1 am looking forward to the day when I 1 shall again make my appearance in washington co if any of the readers of your paper with whom I 1 am wish to write their letters bould be appreciated I 1 have talked luth some of our allied soldier boys who were in the other big drives and I 1 would like to tell you some of the experiences the have had but I 1 cant do it I 1 agree with sherman when he war is H but it BO bad when you can keep in touch with your folks four or five young men out of our regiment have met death and if I 1 could pass away like they did with u smile on their lips and for good old blury I 1 would not winia it iv ata we bad a real christmas and thanksgiving over here the only thing we missed was the home folks we are all trying to take to our new work which is set before us so hard and earnest that we have no time to get home sick not because any one of us wants to forget the folka back there but I 1 think you can understand me when I 1 say forget the folks I 1 mean that we can do more and not worry but at times it pays to think of the ones we left behind us as it gives us more pep and get up to think of the ones we went away to protect and nothing pleases a soldier over hero more than a letter from his sweetheart mother or sister I 1 can honestly say that I 1 am enjoying army life so far ind I 1 am not sorry that I 1 gave my service to uncle sam for the protection of th american people the more I 1 see that flag which floats over our camp the more I 1 love it for it stands for many things to me home and liberty and is the symbol of a great prosperous righteous nation the U S A well I 1 have wrote about enough so I 1 will not take up no booro of your time but I 1 can faithfully say that I 1 am in for doing my bit if not more yours sincerely A true american soldier pat C K johnston med dept U S rv co P A E F france the hen gets the worm because she goes out and itches for it take a hou arm he to |