Show saw ship had exciting time camp debons about 15 miles north ol 01 bordeaux france Y ag 1918 mr M M harmon st george utah dear father I 1 guess it Is late but I 1 will write you a christmas letter anyway they say we can describe our trip so I 1 will give you a short description ot m journey on leaving mainland we went to camp mills long island and got our overseas clothing we were only there a day or two and a working day and night almost about aug 18 we boarded a german ship a captured german ship and next morning sailed out ot new ork harbor with 6 or 8 mare troop ships but all of a sudden our ship stopped and to the disgust ot everybody turned back tor repairs we lay at anchor a whole week thinking each day that probably the next we would sail but no such luck and tho we did sail we coulden couldn t believe our ayea we would go totne side and then the other to see it we were moving or just swinging at anchor As we palled out ot sight ot land and the ship began to sway just a little I 1 came nearest to getting seasick my imagination readily began to work and I 1 thought I 1 had swallowed a spoon or something tor a minute I 1 found that as I 1 moved around or kept myself interested in talk I 1 got along better so I 1 got with a pal who was about in the same alx and we walked that old deck halt the night and I 1 am glad to say I 1 was alright after of course going back I 1 may bo the sickest one I 1 am not saying positively whether I 1 will or not be but I 1 am not going to bo sick it there Is halt a chance of not being we sailed in zigzag manner from N Y up near new Found land and met a canadian convoy and then across there were a number ot days when we had winds and middling rough water waves went over the ship quite often those days and the way that ship would throw men around was right laughable to get up on top deck and watch food being distributed to P s kitchen police during these days was as good as a picture show everything w go well tor a while and then just as a bunch ot waiters would begin to pick up their coffee and mush the ship would heave in one direction and then back everybody would begin sliding and then all ot a sudden you would find men coffee and mush in a pile of course when a wave happened to fill the spectators mouth and eyes it was another ting sept 7 off irish coast was really the exciting day though the sea was very calm the sun was warm and bright and I 1 with many others were stretched out on the forward deck sunning ourselves all ot a sudden the distress or danger blast was sounded I 1 raised up and saw officers sailors and everybody was with excitement somebody says they got her alright and I 1 looked and saw the black smoke from an ex by the ship just behind us but really the interesting thing was the way these chasers or destroyers operate talk about speed why the black smoke shot out ot every one the minute the whistle blew and they shot in and out around among us like so many angry wasps around its broken nest the one nearest the submarine whirled almost on a dollar piece it seemed like and in very tew seconds had dropped its depth bombs where the sub went under we of course all went right on somo chasers stopped with disabled ship we ft told later that they got it to shore all right it afloat at least as long as we could see it we went up thames river or past dover a ways and landed we got right on to the railroad for a two hours ride the said I 1 finally fell asleep but woke up next morning with train still going but wo soon got off and went to a camp at ramsey about S miles north of south hampton in england after staying here about 3 days ve went to southampton and sailed to france sept 13 we landed at cherberg france rested 3 days then marched to nearest railroad and it took us to southam part of france we were landed in barns east of bordeaux and stayed about 15 days then in arched to camp de bon our present location at present I 1 am feeling alne and well cared tor I 1 received your letter of nov 1 last night and it sure seems good to hear of colts and calves being fat army life Is good experience and necessary to whip the hun with but it will seem good to get to a place again when you don t have to do everything by count one soldier says be is going to hire a bugler when he gets home just to hae the opportunity of stretching his head out the window and telling him to go to hell and then hen going back to bed well that describes the feeling pretty well of moat of us sometime 1 wish you all a happy christmas and prosperous new year it ought to be a happy christmas tor everybody and exceptionally so tor those as fortunate as us your affectionate eon frank harmon co F A american E france |