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.
Louis W. Klemenhagen April 15, 1897 – November 12, 1944
Camp Cody, New
Mexico, November 3rd, 1918
We left Olivia
at 5:30, Oct 25th at Glencoe we had picked up another bunch of boys
so that made four bunches, the others being from Montevideo, Granite Falls and
Olivia.
Leaving
Minneapolis we followed the Mississippi river to Farmington, where we got a
hearty cheer. At Faribault we picked up two more cars of boys and gave them a
cheer. We also gave them a cheer. We also picked up boys at Owatonna, and
Austin, Minnesota, making a train of thirteen cars in all.
At. Calmar,
Iowa we had time to parade the town, yelling “Hurrah for Minnesota.” You can
imagine when three hundred and seventy-four men and boys shout what a noise it
makes. Sometimes I could not hear myself think.
We got to North
McGregor at dark so far the country looked good but from there on it looked
forsaken. I wouldn’t trade a hundred and sixty of Minnesota for all of New
Mexico. We took breakfast at Davenport, Iowa, a good sized city. At Mastic,
Iowa we saw some coal mines.
All we saw in
Missouri were mines and hills. Tell Herman it would be fine hunting squirrels
and raccoon in Missouri, where they also raise the four legged mule. We
certainly saw plenty of them.
We got to
Kansas City at 2:15 p.m., received more post cards from the Red Cross.
Here they took
off the dining cars as we went from there on the Rock Island road. We had
dinner just before we got to Kansas City, and got supper that night at
McFarland, Kan., in the Inter-State House, at 10:30 p.m.
We got to
Pratt, Kansas in the morning behind time, so our breakfast was ahead quite, so we
had time to go into a hotel and lunch room, and clean them out of everything
and some more.
At Liberal,
Kansas the ground was covered with sleet, there we got breakfast and dinner.
The country was so level you could see for miles and see straw piles as high as
hog cochs or shocks. It was mostly grazing land, where the grass was short in
the pasture we could see prairie dogs galore, one colony after another. We got
to Goodmill at dark, that was Monday the 28th, we got a meal at 9:20
p.m.
At Carrizozo,
New Mexico, the country was picturesque, high mountain and buttes on all sides,
covered with sage brush. The ground was of a fine sand. Here we saw a big black
eagle with wings which must have measured six or seven feet. It looked like an
air-plane sailing around.
Got to El Paso,
the end of the snow country, at 1:30, when we had dinner, at the Y.M.C.A.
building. Had a fine feed only it was 12 hours behind time. Here some of the
weak were taken off, that had gotten sick from cigarette smoke.
We left El Paso
at 3 p.m. arrived at Camp Cody at 7:35 a.m.
Our leader from
Olivia was Bert Flagsted, a fine young fellow, who at the present time is in my
tent.
We were met by
Lieut. Peterson, and 2nd Lieut. Homan, both fine fellows, you could
not find better officers anywhere.
We walked about
one mile to our headquarters where we were checked up and got a ribbon and card
on our necks with our names on, we also received sweaters from the Red Cross.
Then we marched
to Casval Camp, 15th Co. were given our tents and after that got
supper.
I got to my
tent at 11 p.m. that night to roll in, and got up at 7 a.m. Tuesday the 29th.
Had mess and then started to clean up the street of Co. 15.
Wednesday, we
were measured for clothing Thursday we got our suits, now we look like full-fledged
soldiers.
Friday was out
on drill, learned to salute correctly, and the following commands, such as
right face, left face, about face, squad right, squad left, etc.
Saturday at 1
p.m. we went up to the Reformatory for examination which I passed, then got a
shot in the arm, or vaccinated for pneumonia, from which my arm is a little
stiff today, but will be all right in the morning.
After mess
Saturday night the whole of 15th Company went to the Y.M.C.A.
building to see a motion picture show, and boxing matches, in which a boxer
from Minnesota put it over everything. You ought to have heard the up roar of
two hundred and fifty men of 15th co. being that we have a full
company now. The cry was “Wake up, Okla., Neb., or New York, for Minnesota has
the goods,” or “Minnesota can deliver the goods.”
Got to bed at
9:00 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday, morning was called out for insurance, so
are all thru taking out insurance; I happened to be the first to be called out
to go in, so got back to my tent where I commenced writing this letter, and had
to stop for mess; then we got orders to move, so we got trucks and now are in
barracks. Before we were in canopy tents, now we have board sides with canvas
tops, must close now for mess again.
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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Posted: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Letter from Louis Klemenhagen, Olivia Times, 11-14-1918
April 15, 1897 – November 12, 1944
Camp Cody, New Mexico, November 3rd, 1918
We left Olivia at 5:30, Oct 25th at Glencoe we had picked up another bunch of boys so that made four bunches, the others being from Montevideo, Granite Falls and Olivia.
Leaving Minneapolis we followed the Mississippi river to Farmington, where we got a hearty cheer. At Faribault we picked up two more cars of boys and gave them a cheer. We also gave them a cheer. We also picked up boys at Owatonna, and Austin, Minnesota, making a train of thirteen cars in all.
At. Calmar, Iowa we had time to parade the town, yelling “Hurrah for Minnesota.” You can imagine when three hundred and seventy-four men and boys shout what a noise it makes. Sometimes I could not hear myself think.
We got to North McGregor at dark so far the country looked good but from there on it looked forsaken. I wouldn’t trade a hundred and sixty of Minnesota for all of New Mexico. We took breakfast at Davenport, Iowa, a good sized city. At Mastic, Iowa we saw some coal mines.
All we saw in Missouri were mines and hills. Tell Herman it would be fine hunting squirrels and raccoon in Missouri, where they also raise the four legged mule. We certainly saw plenty of them.
We got to Kansas City at 2:15 p.m., received more post cards from the Red Cross.
Here they took off the dining cars as we went from there on the Rock Island road. We had dinner just before we got to Kansas City, and got supper that night at McFarland, Kan., in the Inter-State House, at 10:30 p.m.
We got to Pratt, Kansas in the morning behind time, so our breakfast was ahead quite, so we had time to go into a hotel and lunch room, and clean them out of everything and some more.
At Liberal, Kansas the ground was covered with sleet, there we got breakfast and dinner. The country was so level you could see for miles and see straw piles as high as hog cochs or shocks. It was mostly grazing land, where the grass was short in the pasture we could see prairie dogs galore, one colony after another. We got to Goodmill at dark, that was Monday the 28th, we got a meal at 9:20 p.m.
At Carrizozo, New Mexico, the country was picturesque, high mountain and buttes on all sides, covered with sage brush. The ground was of a fine sand. Here we saw a big black eagle with wings which must have measured six or seven feet. It looked like an air-plane sailing around.
Got to El Paso, the end of the snow country, at 1:30, when we had dinner, at the Y.M.C.A. building. Had a fine feed only it was 12 hours behind time. Here some of the weak were taken off, that had gotten sick from cigarette smoke.
We left El Paso at 3 p.m. arrived at Camp Cody at 7:35 a.m.
Our leader from Olivia was Bert Flagsted, a fine young fellow, who at the present time is in my tent.
We were met by Lieut. Peterson, and 2nd Lieut. Homan, both fine fellows, you could not find better officers anywhere.
We walked about one mile to our headquarters where we were checked up and got a ribbon and card on our necks with our names on, we also received sweaters from the Red Cross.
Then we marched to Casval Camp, 15th Co. were given our tents and after that got supper.
I got to my tent at 11 p.m. that night to roll in, and got up at 7 a.m. Tuesday the 29th. Had mess and then started to clean up the street of Co. 15.
Wednesday, we were measured for clothing Thursday we got our suits, now we look like full-fledged soldiers.
Friday was out on drill, learned to salute correctly, and the following commands, such as right face, left face, about face, squad right, squad left, etc.
Saturday at 1 p.m. we went up to the Reformatory for examination which I passed, then got a shot in the arm, or vaccinated for pneumonia, from which my arm is a little stiff today, but will be all right in the morning.
After mess Saturday night the whole of 15th Company went to the Y.M.C.A. building to see a motion picture show, and boxing matches, in which a boxer from Minnesota put it over everything. You ought to have heard the up roar of two hundred and fifty men of 15th co. being that we have a full company now. The cry was “Wake up, Okla., Neb., or New York, for Minnesota has the goods,” or “Minnesota can deliver the goods.”
Got to bed at 9:00 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday, morning was called out for insurance, so are all thru taking out insurance; I happened to be the first to be called out to go in, so got back to my tent where I commenced writing this letter, and had to stop for mess; then we got orders to move, so we got trucks and now are in barracks. Before we were in canopy tents, now we have board sides with canvas tops, must close now for mess again.
As ever, Louis W. Klemenhagen
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