In my other
letter, which I wrote to you while on the transport on the way across, I stated
that I would write again after I had spent some time in France and found
something interesting to write about. I intended to write sooner but we have
been very busy during the past two months, being on duty about fourteen hours a
day, seven days a week, and until we arrived at this sector, have moved on an
average of every ten days – so you can see my time is pretty well occupied;
have practically no spare time and consequently my letter writing suffers.
For a long time,
I have been patiently waiting for a copy of the Union but as yet none has
reached me since my arrival over here. Several of the boys in my outfit tell me
that they have not received their “home paper” either for three or four months;
the reason must be that newspapers are held up in some post office, letters
being given preference. When the Bugle does arrive, it will be greatly
appreciated as I am anxious to learn what has taken place at Bird Island since
I left.
When we first
landed in France we were taken to a rest camp, where we spent a week to rest up
after the long voyage across. It looked to me as though we must have struck the
rainy season while we were at this rest camp, as it rained every day and every
night (some night all night long). Of course this was quite a change for us, as
it was quite cool and damp. We bunked on the ground in tents and things were
not as pleasant as they had been in the states; but we didn’t mind that at all
– we were glad to be in France at last after waiting anxiously so long to be
called for overseas duty.
A few days
after we arrived over here a detail from our Squadron was sent to the dock
where we landed to do some work. I walked over to the other side of the dock where
some Engineers were unloading some supplies from a boat and recognized among
them Frank Dresow. It was quite a surprise for both of us but we were very glad
to see each other, although didn’t have much time to talk. Since that time I
never saw Frank any more.
From the rest
camp we went by train to an aviation camp, where we had all the conveniences a
soldier could ask for; good barracks and a good Y.M.C.A., the latter being in
most of the places we have been stationed. Here we also had a very good baseball
diamond and we tried our hand at the national game once more in our spare time.
Occasionally we would place a couple of Frenchmen on each side to teach them
the game. They were anxious to play but you can imagine how well they were
instructed and how much they learned about the game when they couldn’t speak a
word of English and we didn’t understand French. But we all enjoyed ourselves
nevertheless.
After I had
been at this camp for about two weeks, I was transferred to Headquarters, Air
Service, First Army, of which outfit I have now been a member for three months.
You have no doubt heard lost about the First Army back in the States, of its
formation and then the different offensives which it has carried out; also the
sector which it now occupies in the line. I like my work in this organization
first rate but expect to rejoin my squadron in the field on the Air Service
front later on.
I have traveled
practically entirely over Central France and have had a good opportunity to see
quite a bit of the country. Sometimes we have traveled by rail and sometimes by
motor truck; at times while on the move we made out bunks in any empty house or
barn we could find, many of the houses being deserted owing to the inhabitants
moving out of shell fire; sometimes there were no houses so some of us slept in
the trucks and some under them.
At present we
are stationed on the edge of a very small village, practically out in the
wilderness. The village consists of a church and a few houses and two or three
stores, where hardly anything can be bought. The Y.M.C.A. has a hut here but
they only have things to sell once in a while outside of smokes. But we get
three good square meals a day here and certainly have some appetites, not being
able to eat between meals here.
The front in
this sector has been very active for some time. The heavy firing commences
bright and early in the morning and continues until late at night. A great
number of aeroplanes from this field can be seen flying over the front lines
almost every day.
I had a letter
from my brother, Clifford, about a month ago; he is in the 315th
Aero Squadron, which is stationed in England. Warren Mitchell is in another
Squadron near Clifford.
We have had
quite a bit of rainy weather this fall, but this past week has been fine. It is
rather cool here in the mornings just now and guess winter will soon be here.
When it rains here for just a short time, the ground certainly becomes muddy, a
white sticky mud that certainly beats any mud I ever experienced before.
I am getting
along fine and am very much pleased with the treatment Uncle Sam gives us.
Trusting that
this letter reaches you in the best of health, I remain,
Sincerely
yours, Corp. Ira T. Strom, Hdqrs., Air Service, 1st Army, American
E. F.
I must write a
few lines this evening as putting it off does not get anywhere.
Received two of
your letters in the last couple days of Aug. 28 and Sept. 12. This is the first
mail that I had received for nearly a month. One of the boys received 26
letters today, that ought to keep him a going for a while.
As you see, I
am doing a good deal of traveling and of course see all kinds of country. Land
where battles had raged for years is a terrible sight, all shot to pieces and
what trees are still standing are all shattered and dead.
Could you
imagine a small city like out home town build of brick or stone as these places
are, lying in ruins? All this we have left behind. The country where I am now
has not been destroyed much. Civilians are coming back again to work their land
and repair their homes. Many of them are only women and children.
The weather had
been damp and rainy a couple days ago and a little fire was a great comfort.
Can you picture a bunch of us boys lying around a camp fire in an old ruined
building talking about all the apple pie and ice cream we left in the states,
and when our appetite gets worked up beyond control we go out and rustle up
some bread, jam and spuds and with the use of our mess kits we make
french-fries that would make a Frenchman’s mouth water. The bread we toast and
soon we forget all about the luxuries at home and (only wish the war would last
a few more years.)
We have “up to
the minute news,” that is, when we see it with our own eyes, otherwise we have
the opportunity quite often to get the New York Herald and the Fast Mail, both
are daily papers and usually only a day old when we get them.
I looked up Mr.
Nihart a few days ago. He is in the signal corp. I knew he was in a signal
out-fit but did not know which one, we both happened to be billeted in the same
building at the time, a large church.
I brought my
Kodak and left it behind when we went up to the line. I suppose that is the
last I will see of it. Well it matters little as I lost everything but what I
had on.
Am getting
along fine. The boys say I am getting fat.
Must close now,
as ever, Ora Huebner, 91st Div. Hdq. troop G 2, A.P.O. 776, A.E.F.
I received three papers today and they made me happy to get them and to read about the news at home. I got a few some time ago. I noticed a little write-up about the Hindenburg line. We were on the strongest front on that line, and it was some place to break, but what it takes to put a run on the Huns is the U.S. boys.
There are three
of us boys from Bird Island in this Division Tommy Murray and young Thomas –
they are in the 118th Inf. I have not seen either one since we left
Camp Seiver, S.C. I am going to try and look them up.
We were taken
out from the front for a rest, and it may be from two weeks to two months.
You can tell
the boys of 76 that theirs was a play game to what it is today. Give my best
regards to all the people at home and say we will be back home soon.
Corp.
Raymond Erickson Back from France – Home on Furlough from Camp Dodge
Corporal Raymond Erickson arrived home from Camp Dodge Tuesday evening being on a ten-day furlough. He was returned from France some weeks ago on account of rheumatism and a slight whiff of Hun gas and has been as the base hospital, Camp Dodge, since. He is now feeling fine and looks the real soldier he is. Ray was in the thick of the Chateau-Thierry fight when the German tide was broken. The battle scenes are indescribable, he says, but they put the Fritzies on the run at Chateau-Thierry and kept them running ever since until they begged for peace. France is alright Ray says, but the old U.S.A. for him. Over there the people are about three hundred years behind times, he says which probably accounts in part for the fact that they cannot understand the gigantic scale on which the Americans do business. He mentioned the vim with which the Americans fought, even raw troops who were given a new type of gun with which they were entirely unfamiliar even the loading operation being new until they were shown how, going in and fighting like veterans. That’s why Uncle Sam’s troops turned the picked Prussian shock troop like water from a duck. Ray was given an ovation at the deport Tuesday night when he arrived. He will spend his furlough here and at Redwood Falls where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Erickson, now reside.
The following
letter was received by Virgil Wallner from his cousin, Ernest Wallner, now in
France.
France, Sept.
15th, 1918
Dear Cousin:
Your most
welcome letter came to me yesterday, together with one from cousin, Lillian,
and I am taking great pleasure in answering it this afternoon. To be sure your
letter was thoroughly enjoyed. Letters over here are quite valuable and you can
bet when one shows up it looks mighty inviting. I feel that I have a big job
when I undertake to write a long letter as you request. Owing to the strict
censorship on letters before they leave for the states, I will not be able to
write a lengthy missive. However one may write almost anything as to what he
has seen, but is barred from giving out anything like military information.
Well I will try to give you some idea of how the French live and so on. I have
been to towns on Sundays three times, and these towns are from 20,000 to 60,000
and are considered to be some of the best little cities in France. These towns
seem to be all of the same type, narrow streets, open sewers, stone buildings
with tiled roofs and no paved streets and no street cars. The trains are toys compared
with those in the United States. The people generally are of the poorer class
financially, the farmers have a few good cattle and large flocks of sheep with
a few goats in the bunch. Heavy one-horse carts are used. Eggs are a precious
article and they charge from 4 to 5 francs a dozen for them. I am several
hundred miles from the fighting lines and things are about as quiet here as in
camp in the states I am well and will close with best regards to all.
Posted: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Letter from Ira Strom, Bird Island Union, 12-5-1918
January 9, 1891 – March 3, 1945
Somewhere in France, October 31st, 1918
Mr. H. C. Sherwood, Bird Island, Minn.
Dear Friend Herb,
In my other letter, which I wrote to you while on the transport on the way across, I stated that I would write again after I had spent some time in France and found something interesting to write about. I intended to write sooner but we have been very busy during the past two months, being on duty about fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, and until we arrived at this sector, have moved on an average of every ten days – so you can see my time is pretty well occupied; have practically no spare time and consequently my letter writing suffers.
For a long time, I have been patiently waiting for a copy of the Union but as yet none has reached me since my arrival over here. Several of the boys in my outfit tell me that they have not received their “home paper” either for three or four months; the reason must be that newspapers are held up in some post office, letters being given preference. When the Bugle does arrive, it will be greatly appreciated as I am anxious to learn what has taken place at Bird Island since I left.
When we first landed in France we were taken to a rest camp, where we spent a week to rest up after the long voyage across. It looked to me as though we must have struck the rainy season while we were at this rest camp, as it rained every day and every night (some night all night long). Of course this was quite a change for us, as it was quite cool and damp. We bunked on the ground in tents and things were not as pleasant as they had been in the states; but we didn’t mind that at all – we were glad to be in France at last after waiting anxiously so long to be called for overseas duty.
A few days after we arrived over here a detail from our Squadron was sent to the dock where we landed to do some work. I walked over to the other side of the dock where some Engineers were unloading some supplies from a boat and recognized among them Frank Dresow. It was quite a surprise for both of us but we were very glad to see each other, although didn’t have much time to talk. Since that time I never saw Frank any more.
From the rest camp we went by train to an aviation camp, where we had all the conveniences a soldier could ask for; good barracks and a good Y.M.C.A., the latter being in most of the places we have been stationed. Here we also had a very good baseball diamond and we tried our hand at the national game once more in our spare time. Occasionally we would place a couple of Frenchmen on each side to teach them the game. They were anxious to play but you can imagine how well they were instructed and how much they learned about the game when they couldn’t speak a word of English and we didn’t understand French. But we all enjoyed ourselves nevertheless.
After I had been at this camp for about two weeks, I was transferred to Headquarters, Air Service, First Army, of which outfit I have now been a member for three months. You have no doubt heard lost about the First Army back in the States, of its formation and then the different offensives which it has carried out; also the sector which it now occupies in the line. I like my work in this organization first rate but expect to rejoin my squadron in the field on the Air Service front later on.
I have traveled practically entirely over Central France and have had a good opportunity to see quite a bit of the country. Sometimes we have traveled by rail and sometimes by motor truck; at times while on the move we made out bunks in any empty house or barn we could find, many of the houses being deserted owing to the inhabitants moving out of shell fire; sometimes there were no houses so some of us slept in the trucks and some under them.
At present we are stationed on the edge of a very small village, practically out in the wilderness. The village consists of a church and a few houses and two or three stores, where hardly anything can be bought. The Y.M.C.A. has a hut here but they only have things to sell once in a while outside of smokes. But we get three good square meals a day here and certainly have some appetites, not being able to eat between meals here.
The front in this sector has been very active for some time. The heavy firing commences bright and early in the morning and continues until late at night. A great number of aeroplanes from this field can be seen flying over the front lines almost every day.
I had a letter from my brother, Clifford, about a month ago; he is in the 315th Aero Squadron, which is stationed in England. Warren Mitchell is in another Squadron near Clifford.
We have had quite a bit of rainy weather this fall, but this past week has been fine. It is rather cool here in the mornings just now and guess winter will soon be here. When it rains here for just a short time, the ground certainly becomes muddy, a white sticky mud that certainly beats any mud I ever experienced before.
I am getting along fine and am very much pleased with the treatment Uncle Sam gives us.
Trusting that this letter reaches you in the best of health, I remain,
Sincerely yours, Corp. Ira T. Strom, Hdqrs., Air Service, 1st Army, American E. F.
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Posted: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Letter from Ora Huebner, Bird Island Union, 12-5-1918
Somewhere in Belgium, Oct. 26, 1918
Dear sister and all:
I must write a few lines this evening as putting it off does not get anywhere.
Received two of your letters in the last couple days of Aug. 28 and Sept. 12. This is the first mail that I had received for nearly a month. One of the boys received 26 letters today, that ought to keep him a going for a while.
As you see, I am doing a good deal of traveling and of course see all kinds of country. Land where battles had raged for years is a terrible sight, all shot to pieces and what trees are still standing are all shattered and dead.
Could you imagine a small city like out home town build of brick or stone as these places are, lying in ruins? All this we have left behind. The country where I am now has not been destroyed much. Civilians are coming back again to work their land and repair their homes. Many of them are only women and children.
The weather had been damp and rainy a couple days ago and a little fire was a great comfort. Can you picture a bunch of us boys lying around a camp fire in an old ruined building talking about all the apple pie and ice cream we left in the states, and when our appetite gets worked up beyond control we go out and rustle up some bread, jam and spuds and with the use of our mess kits we make french-fries that would make a Frenchman’s mouth water. The bread we toast and soon we forget all about the luxuries at home and (only wish the war would last a few more years.)
We have “up to the minute news,” that is, when we see it with our own eyes, otherwise we have the opportunity quite often to get the New York Herald and the Fast Mail, both are daily papers and usually only a day old when we get them.
I looked up Mr. Nihart a few days ago. He is in the signal corp. I knew he was in a signal out-fit but did not know which one, we both happened to be billeted in the same building at the time, a large church.
I brought my Kodak and left it behind when we went up to the line. I suppose that is the last I will see of it. Well it matters little as I lost everything but what I had on.
Am getting along fine. The boys say I am getting fat.
Must close now, as ever, Ora Huebner, 91st Div. Hdq. troop G 2, A.P.O. 776, A.E.F.
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Last Updated: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Letter from Michael Young, Bird Island Union, 12-5-1918
Dear Union:
I received three papers today and they made me happy to get them and to read about the news at home. I got a few some time ago. I noticed a little write-up about the Hindenburg line. We were on the strongest front on that line, and it was some place to break, but what it takes to put a run on the Huns is the U.S. boys.
There are three of us boys from Bird Island in this Division Tommy Murray and young Thomas – they are in the 118th Inf. I have not seen either one since we left Camp Seiver, S.C. I am going to try and look them up.
We were taken out from the front for a rest, and it may be from two weeks to two months.
You can tell the boys of 76 that theirs was a play game to what it is today. Give my best regards to all the people at home and say we will be back home soon.
Your friend, Michael Young
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Posted: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Corporal Raymond Erickson, Franklin Tribune, 11-21-1918
First Home Boy Back from France
Corp. Raymond Erickson Back from France – Home on Furlough from Camp Dodge
Corporal Raymond Erickson arrived home from Camp Dodge Tuesday evening being on a ten-day furlough. He was returned from France some weeks ago on account of rheumatism and a slight whiff of Hun gas and has been as the base hospital, Camp Dodge, since. He is now feeling fine and looks the real soldier he is. Ray was in the thick of the Chateau-Thierry fight when the German tide was broken. The battle scenes are indescribable, he says, but they put the Fritzies on the run at Chateau-Thierry and kept them running ever since until they begged for peace. France is alright Ray says, but the old U.S.A. for him. Over there the people are about three hundred years behind times, he says which probably accounts in part for the fact that they cannot understand the gigantic scale on which the Americans do business. He mentioned the vim with which the Americans fought, even raw troops who were given a new type of gun with which they were entirely unfamiliar even the loading operation being new until they were shown how, going in and fighting like veterans. That’s why Uncle Sam’s troops turned the picked Prussian shock troop like water from a duck. Ray was given an ovation at the deport Tuesday night when he arrived. He will spend his furlough here and at Redwood Falls where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Erickson, now reside.
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Last Updated: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Letter From Ernest Wallner, Olivia Times, 11-14-1918
The following letter was received by Virgil Wallner from his cousin, Ernest Wallner, now in France.
France, Sept. 15th, 1918
Dear Cousin:
Your most welcome letter came to me yesterday, together with one from cousin, Lillian, and I am taking great pleasure in answering it this afternoon. To be sure your letter was thoroughly enjoyed. Letters over here are quite valuable and you can bet when one shows up it looks mighty inviting. I feel that I have a big job when I undertake to write a long letter as you request. Owing to the strict censorship on letters before they leave for the states, I will not be able to write a lengthy missive. However one may write almost anything as to what he has seen, but is barred from giving out anything like military information. Well I will try to give you some idea of how the French live and so on. I have been to towns on Sundays three times, and these towns are from 20,000 to 60,000 and are considered to be some of the best little cities in France. These towns seem to be all of the same type, narrow streets, open sewers, stone buildings with tiled roofs and no paved streets and no street cars. The trains are toys compared with those in the United States. The people generally are of the poorer class financially, the farmers have a few good cattle and large flocks of sheep with a few goats in the bunch. Heavy one-horse carts are used. Eggs are a precious article and they charge from 4 to 5 francs a dozen for them. I am several hundred miles from the fighting lines and things are about as quiet here as in camp in the states I am well and will close with best regards to all.
Your Cousin, Ernest
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