John Huskey and Allen C. Huber

Co K, 138th Infantry, 35th Division

Featuring "The Diary of a Doughboy"

The above photo is John Huskey (left) Allen C. Huber (right) of  Co. K 138th Infantry (formerly 5th MO Infantry) 35th Div, 69th Brigade. Photographed  at St. Malo in Brittany, France on March 26th 1919.

John Huskey and Allen C. Huber both "enlisted on June 4th, 1917 in the 5th regiment, National Guard of Missouri, christened "The Joffre Regiment" on account of the presentation of a large silk flag to the regiment by Marshall Joffre of France who was a visitor, on business, in St. Louis, Missouri at that particular time." Initially they drilled  on the grounds of the Jefferson Memorial in Forest Park and were quartered in the coliseum located at the intersection of Washington and Jefferson avenues. After passing a physical examine at the gymnasium of Washington University,  the new recruits were shipped off to Camp Clark in Nevada, Mo before reaching basic training at Camp Doniphan in Oklahoma. Their story continues in the diary recorded by Allen C. Huber, given to John Huskey following the war. Robert Huskey, the grandson of John Huskey, contributed the above photo, and diary below.

The Diary of A Doughboy

The wartime account by Allen C. Huber. Transcribed by Robert Huskey

This book is the property of Allan C. Huber, who was a First-Class Private in Co. K, 138th Regiment, Infantry, of the 35th division, Missouri and Kansas troops, and contains a daily account of his life from the time he entered the Army on June 4th, 1917 until his discharge on May 12, 1919 at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Diary of an Ex-Service Man 1917-1919

Enlisted on June 4th, 1917 in the 5th regiment, National Guard of Missouri, christened "The Joffre Regiment" on account of the presentation of a large silk flag to the regiment by Marshall  Joffre of France who was a visitor, on business, in St. Louis, Missouri at that particular time.

We drilled twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) on the grounds adjoining the Jefferson Memorial in Forest Park, for sometime and when we were called into company formation, the officers quartered us in the Coliseum at the corner of Washington and Jefferson Aves. For two weeks where we received the rudimentary principles of army life. After passing all the necessary tests for final acceptance into the army we were moved to the gymnasium at Washington University where we were quartered for about a week, awaiting equipment and orders to move to camp. The regiment and division were finally assembled at Camp Clark, Nevada, Missouri where we were rapidly reaching better organization and getting a better idea of what military life was going to be like. On September 25th, 1917 at 12 O’clock we entrained on the Missouri-Pacific R.R. going thru Carthage, Missouri on to Joplin.

Continuing on this road to the end of the trip, which was Fort Sill at Lanton, Oklahoma. We crossed the White river at Riverton, Kansas which place has a large water-plant, thoroughly up-to-date. We are traveling as the third section of the train, containing the Third Battalion made up of Co.’s J, K, L, and M, consisting of from 600 to 700 men. At Baxter Springs, Kansas A widely scattered town, we had to stop and await traveling orders. All towns in the vicinity of Joplin Missouri are engaged in the mining of zinc and lead and there is nothing particularly interesting in the landscape throughout this section. Inanapah, Oklahoma, a small town near Baxter Springs, Kansas is an oil-drilling section. The school buildings throughout Kansas and Oklahoma, both in town and country, appear to be roomy and up-to-date and nicely arranged. The farms and houses of the section of Oklahoma through which we are passing, seems to be new and well-kept and as we are traveling at the rate of about twenty-five miles an hour, we have ample time to look over the country in full.

Miami, Oklahoma a new and widely scattered town, is also in the oil-drilling country. About 6 miles beyond Miami we passed through country that is flat and level and covered with verdant grass, which makes good grazing land, which was evidenced by the fact that there are numerous cattle to be seen in the pastures near the tracks. We reached Afton, Oklahoma at dusk and were eating "mess" as we stopped there for a few moments. It is now dark and as I am unable to see any objects, will continue my entries in the morning by which time we will be pretty well advanced into Oklahoma territory.

My buddy and Pal, John C. Huskey of Racola, MO. who has been my partner since we were mustered into service at the coliseum in St. Louis sits beside me in the car on the way to camp and while I make notes, he occupies his time by reading. I might mention here some of the things that may be interesting in regard to what the "Sammies" do for pastime while aboard the train. Some read, play cards, sing, relate stories and experiences, observe everything of interest from the car windows, and, chief of all is the fad of passing out small slips of paper with the name, company, and camp written on them so that anyone who cares to, may write us a some future time. And plenty of them did! Thank their good souls. For letters were always welcome in the daily hum-drum of army life.

Passing thru Vinita, Okla. About 8 p.m. we took it to be a fairly lively place, judging from the illumination of its streets.

Did guard duty from 4 to 5 a.m. and ate breakfast as we passed thru Oklahoma City, which probably is Oklahoma’s most thriving city. Our train passed parallel to their Wheeler Park, which scenically, is beautiful and in which we observed a pen containing ostriches. Cotton fields are noticeable outside Oklahoma City and also quite a few large-sized wheat fields. The soil here is a reddish clay loam of a peculiar shade but vegetation seems thriving and abundant. Wheatland Okla., a small place, and mustaine, also small, seem to lie in a fruit belt as we notice large peach and apple orchards here. Sugar cane and Kaffir corn are quite abundant also. The Red river passes thru this section and derives its name from the red soil of which I have already written. Near Chickasha ripening cotton fields are noticed as we pass through the country and plenty of Negroes are observed at work in the fields.

At Noroe, Okla. a small place, the scenery is probably as pretty as any we have seen on the entire trip. There are hills and hills covered with a thick growth of trees, tinged with the red and gold of early autumn and as you look from the car window, across the countryside, a desire comes to roam in the works amongst the early signs of fall. The fall of the year always has been one of the beautiful seasons. Here and there, amongst the trees, little Indian children wave to us as the train speeds onward. We are nearing our destination, which is Lawton, Okla. and just outside the city in the prairie lands of this section we saw large numbers of prairie-dogs sitting atop of the little mounds of dirt thrown up beside the holes in which they hide when pursued or shot at by hunters.

Arriving at Lawton, Okla. we detrained at Camp Doniphan, which was a new camp constructed just north of the old camp at Fort Sill, an artillery camp, which has been there for many years. Being assigned to our company street, army life began in earnest for we were being whipped into shape to be sent overseas. It is Sept. 25th, 1917 on our arrival here and we immediately begin preparations for persistent and intensive drilling. I might mention here the latest we occupied the other quarters since being mustered into service. From Aug.5, 1917 to the 19th we were in the Coliseum and from the 19th to the 26th we were in the gymnasium at Washington University. From the 26th to Sept. 25, 1917 we were located at Camp Clark, Nevada, MO. from Sept. 25th, 1917 up to April 16, 1918 we were stationed at Camp Doniphan, Okla. which is 5 miles from Lawton our nearest city of any size. This is the original habitation of the Indian in this territory and there are large numbers of the different tribes located hereabouts. Probably the most famous (or notorious) of them all was the old chief Geronimo, of whom I heard many interesting tales from the people who live in this country. From the narrations of his actions, I gathered that he must be what is commonly known as a "tough bird." This section is rich in Indian lore, and, naturally, to we young folks, there were many interesting anecdotes to listen to. This is a fine Indian school for boys and girls at Lawton where the young Indians are educated and drilled and also the Comanche Indian Hospital to care for their sick. A church is provided for them and also a number of houses by most of them and also a number of houses but most of the older Indians prefer to live out on the reservation in their own way. I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with quite a few of the young Indians at the school and secured some very good snapshots with my camera.

Our stay at Camp Doniphan was one continuous program of drilling and discipline which bore fruit, for, just before our embarkment we were judged as the best drilled regiment in the division and drew the honor of parading up Fifth avenue in New York City on behalf of the Liberty Loan drive going on, which I think was the third one. While at Doniphan, I had the privilege of frequent passed to Lawton and, of which I availed myself at every opportunity as my relatives, the Millers, formerly of St. Jacob, Ill. resided there and they very socially and generously, endeavored to make life worth while and, for which, anyone who is familiar with the old army grind knows, I was duly thankful. Mr. Scott, upon which an old stone fort was built as a defense against the Indians and medicine park, a summer resort with a nice swimming pool, were points of interest near the camp to which we hiked on Sundays and in our spare time. The Wichita Range of mountains were situated some distance from camp but we occasionally hiked over for a glimpse of the herd of buffaloes on the game preserve near the mountains.

The climate was hot and sultry and the ground covered with a perpetual layer of fine sand which had an ugly habit of flying in your eyes when the wind stirred. And it seemed to be stirring the better part of the time, so much so that we were compelled to wear goggles while in the field at drill. Our hats were kept in position by two leather straps, one passing (or resting) on the chin bone and the other in back of the head. The New York people later called us the "Cowboy Division" on account of the strapped hats.

Many memorable associations and friendships were formed between the people of Lawton and the camp and amongst the men themselves as they became better acquainted and as they gradually came to the realization that we were all in the game for the same purpose and the goal a long way off. It is fitting that these friendships, formed at this time, should be enduring long after the war has ended. I am very proud to note here that the class of men enlisted in the 35th division (of which I am a very proud member) was composed of as noble men as was to be desired and it is a pleasure indeed to be able to toil and associate with them and call them buddies. Angels ? No! As the Irishman said, "Not by a Damn Sight." But helpful and willing to share your troubles at all times. Some were bad but the number so small that you could very easily call them all good. Just regular human folks. And out of all this mass of humanity (60,000 in the division at full strength) emerged two lads I am, and, always will be glad, to call my bunkies for such they were in the real sense of the word, having been with me thru thick and thin for the entire period of our enlistment, Johnny Huskey, my closest buddy comes first, last and all the time and then Big Handsome Patrick McDonough, the Irishman, whose big blue eyes would sparkle with the very devil in them whenever I would sneak into the tent and anger him by dumping his bunk over right in the midst of a resting spell between drill periods! Thanks to his good old Irish nature, He never took it to heart, for in the later days he became my corporal and could have evened scores but we became the best of friends and shared all trials, good and bad, alike. Paddy’s home was in Maom Cross, Country Galway, Ireland and he was in this country only three years when he joined our outfit in St. Louis, MO. Huskey who has been my buddy from the first day we were mustered into service, came from a little French community near Potosi, MO. known as Racola, MO. and I am pleased to rate him as "A1" anyway you look at it. There are many other lads in the outfit, all wonderful fellows but it is only natural to extoc the merits of your closest companions.

At 12 O’clock on April 16, 1918, amid much hustle and bustle, we entrained on the Rock Island Line to begin our trip to the Atlantic coast, preparatory to sailing for France and the big moment of our lives. Our division was christened the "Santa Fe Division" and the Santa Fe cross was our official insignia on all our clothing. On April 17th we detrained at Kansan City, Mo. for a short limbering up walk in the park near Union Station and then boarded the C.B. and Q line for Chicago, Ill. by way of Quincy, Ill. where we observed the old soldiers’ home and where the Red Cross woman gave us apples, post cards and cigarettes. Thanks. Arrived in Chicago at 6 a.m. on April 18 where we had breakfast while stopping in the railroad yards. Leaving on the Pennsylvania Lines, we crossed the Chicago River and arrived at Valparaiso, Ind. at 10:30 a.m. where we stopped for one hour’s exercise on a ball ground at the edge of the city. We (and a rain) arrived at Ft. Wayne, Ind. at 2:50 p.m. Lima, Ohio at 5:30 p.m. Bucyrus, Oh. at 7:20 p.m. April 19th, 1918. Pittsburg, Pa. at 4:00 a.m. where I saw my first motor-driven trucks for hauling baggage to express cars along platform. South Forks, Pa. 5:00 a.m. mining section. Altoona 5:50 a.m. Breakfast here and changed train crews. Penn. Reformation farm at Huntington, Pa. crossed Allegheny River at Rockville 12 noon. Harrisburg, the capital at 12:50 where I "snapped" the State Capitol building and had the pleasure of shaking hands with the Governor of Pa. and his wife who were at the station to meet our train. Elizabethtown, Pa. is a beautiful college town. Drilled in a field just east of the small town of Rheems, Pa. and I took a picture of I Co. at drill. Throughout the state of Pa. the farms are noticeable for their unusually large barns. Scenery around the famous Horseshoe curve is just simply grand. Took a picture of Lancaster and the River about 3:30 p.m. also of the foundries at Coatsville. Large Catholic convent on seminary at Frazer, Pa. arrived Philadelphia (5:30 a.m.) snapped the "Zoo" gardens from the train window. A beautiful place. The sections we could see of Pa. from the train made it appear as a wonderful city. Arrived at Trenton, N.J. 8:00 and Newark at 8:30. We entered the tubes in Manhattan, N.Y. at 9:15 p.m. and it seems we were barely in them when we were on the other side of the river and in Brooklyn, N.Y. through which we passed to get to Camp Mills on Long Island, N.Y. Detraining about one-half mile from camp, we hiked in on foot arriving at 11:00 a.m. on April 20th where we were assigned to our quarters. The plant of the Curtis Aeroplane Co. is located next to our quarters. That evening Ed Brown of St. Charles, Mo., Aug. Dangus and myself went into Hempstead, Long Island and we found it a very nice prosperous looking city. Camp Mills is a dreary, muddy place used as a concentration place for troops before leaving for Camp Merritt, the embarking point.

Eddie Brown and myself took a Long Island Electric train for New York City and called on Wm. Streuber who was studying grand opera at that time and living at 51st Street and Columbus Circle. We attended Keith’s Palace theater in the afternoon, had dinner with Mr. Streuber and in the evening attended an Actor’s benefit show at the large New York Hippodrome.

Budzwieski, a Polish member of our company and myself went to Hempstead to spend the evening. Managed to meet a good-hearted man who made it possible for us to get some whiskey for Bud and a couple of bottles of Rheingold Beer for myself which we enjoyed very much, Thank you, as it had been quite a long while since we had had any refreshments of this sort and I am frank enough to say that I liked it. Excuse me, Please!

Nothing very especial on this date only that we drilled some, same as any other day and were issued some of our necessary overseas equipment.

My friend Pat McDonough was sick with the chills. Harry Meyer, St. Louis and myself attended the Bushwick Theater in Brooklyn, Grace La Rue and Joe Jackson being headliners. After the show, we took some whiskey back to camp for Paddy’s chills and he was mightily pleased to get it.

Dangus, the Greek, and I played pool all evening in Hempstead. Could never get Huskey, my buddy, to go to town after we were excused from duty in the evening so he stayed around camp mostly.

Our regiment (138th) paraded up 5th Ave. N.Y. in behalf of the third issue of the Liberty Loam. A sight no so easily forgotten! Flags and decorations everywhere, thousands upon thousands of people to watch the parade, our snappy regimental band with the colors at the head of them and a still snappier Battalion of young men full of pep, following them and surely anyone can grasp what a sight it was to look upon. It is fondly cherished in my own memory I am sure! We went by train from camp to Brooklyn and crossed over on the Ferry. In the evening went to Jamaica, where I met La Breque, a member of our company and we walked along a rock road until we came to Loukman’s dance hall where we danced the evening away.

Huskey and I took the elevated railway to New York City where we attended a Columbia Burlesque show. A sight seeing trip on a "Rubber-neck" wagon thru Chinatown was very interesting to John and I. I bought a blessed china teacup in a Josa-House, while there and also a back-scratcher which is a little hand made of bone and mounted on a long polished stick. We also included the Bowery and the Ghetto in our trip. The Ghetto is a sight in itself! Where all these hundreds, yes thousands, of foreigners of all types live, and how is beyond comprehension. They surely are jammed together in as little space as possible. We stayed all night at the Coburg Apartments on 7th and 34th Streets and the owner was obliging enough to bring eight bottles of Rheingold beer into our room for use during the evening and John and I had a little party that evening.

Briscoe, Renben Oswitz and I went to a Chinese chop seuy restaraunt at Freeport, L.I. in the evening. Our company went on guard.

Went to Hampstead, L.I. after retreat and supper.

Final preparations being made today to sail for France. We were confined to the company street this evening on account of departure. I went to the Y.M.C.A. tent to mail a package home and while there left my pocket book lying on the table, where I had been writing. Had $4 in money and all my receipts in it, but never heard anything more of it.

All hustle and bustle all day. Had to stay in company street again this evening.

Left Camp Mills, L.I. at 5:00 am for Hoboken, N.J. Detrained at Brooklyn, N.Y. and took the ferry " Scandinavia " down the Hudson river to New York harbor where we were loaded aboard the British transport " Missanabie ". From aboard we had an exellent view of Battery Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and the skyscraper section of lower New York which probably is unequalled anywhere else in the world. The Statue of Liberty towers over us in a protecting manner. John and I have a state room together, he occupying the upper and I the lower berth.

Goodbye friends and good old U.S.A. for we are gliding out onto the broad Atlantic ocean under ideal weather. Passed out into the ocean from the harbor at 10 am. There are 15 transports of about 60,000 men, supply ships and a battle ship that are visible besides our convoy, which encircles us, and which we cannot see as they are at some distance. This is the first time our ship (which belongs to the Canadian-Pacific Steamship Co.) has taken over troops from an American port as it has been used only for transport for Canadian troops. All ships in our fleet are flying the British flag, which caused a bit of regret, for which we would all prefer to cross under our own colors. The coast line is fading from view and as we face the east nothing greets the eye but water, water every where but in the excitement of becoming settled aboard ship we can hardly have time to take note of, or realize how awfully much water really does surround us. Some of the boys who are getting their first glimpse of such a large body of water, are looking long and intently out to sea. As for me, I had been on the Gulf of Mexico and the sight of so much water was really not so new or amazing to me. Regardless of that, the bigness of the Atlantic thrills you anyway.

Our crew, which of course is made up of English sailors, does not seem to impress us so favorably as they seem to regard us too lightly. Their chief impression of us being the good our food and money will do them. Our ship is carrying the Third Battalion of the 138th Regiment company's I,K,L and M, Headquarters Co., Regimental Band, Supply Co., Machine Co., and a large number of Casual, or drafted men who had been attached to our outfit at Camp Mills, L.I. having been sent from Camp Dodge , Iowa. Some of these boys complained of being ill fed at Camp Mills, L.I. recieving but one meal a day. Our meals aboard ship are english style and can not, of course, be compared to our good old American way of cooking, nor with the French style either. No life on the ocean today except a large inbound steamer and occasionally a lonesome looking sea gull on the wing. The band gave an afternoon concert on the top deck and Rube Oswitz, Alve Gleason, Zeisler, and myself had quite a little amusement dancing with our hob-nail shoes, which by the way, is the only footwear we have. We are about 300 miles out and the ocean is very calm. Have a boat drill every day at 10 am and 3 pm.

Ocean is very rough today and it is beginning to affect the boys, for quite a number became sick. A rush for the bunk to lie down usually helped to soothe the dizzy feeling cause by the rolling of the ship. The pitching and tossing caused me to have a dizzy headache and feel tired but did not cause me to get sick. Church services were held in the open on the top deck. Retired early as one gets tired of looking at water all the time. John and I were always accustomed to a friendly little wrestling about of an evening before hitting our bunks, so we had a "set to" in our state-room but it was so small and narrow that ,often striking our shins against the edge of the bunk we decided it wasn't such a good place to indulge in that kind of exercise. We were assisted in this decision by the yells of adjoining occupants who wanted to know if we thought we belonged to a wrecking crew. Funny how some fellows can't stand a little noise!

Sea is quieter to-day ,thank the lord. Had setting-up exercises this a.m. on top deck, My first glimpse of fish this afternoon .A school of them with quite a few jumping up out of the water seems to be about six feet long and brownish color. We are about 1100 miles out to sea. I do not like English meals. We have breadless dinners every day. Picture show this evening in the dinning hall but I went down to no. 514 cabin, Pat Mc Donough's room, and spent the evening with him.

While at exercise this a.m , the siren blew and the gunners flew to there guns the cause being an alarm over the appearance of a whale which looked like a submarine at a distance. We understood that the gunners were paid an extra L20 for the first hit on a submarine and they are always anxious to get a shot at one. We are about half-way across the ocean. Sea is very calm and the smoothest since we left New York. Spent the evening watching the boys play " African Golf." Had some bad smelling fish for supper and I threw mine through a port-hole onto the ocean where I think it might have came from at some ancient date.

Nothing unusual except a heavy fog in which we were completely enveloped and had to blow whistles continually to show positions of vessels. Went on guard at 4 and my post was in front of the ship's officers quarters. Not allowed to smoke on deck after. There are no lights aboard ship and it is very hard to walk about deck.

Foggy and rainy this a.m. Had athletic games, boxing and tug-of-war this afternoon but did not see any of the program as I was still on guard on second deck. Moving pictures after supper.

Sea calm but still foggy. This English meals are horrible. Athletic games in the afternoon and band concert. This evening after dark a strange vessel sighted near us and our cruiser promptly gave chase. The assumption was that it was a vessel bound for the U.S and merely crossed our path out in ocean. We are about 2300 mi. From New York.

Kerensky and I danced on deck this morning. Paddy McDonough and I watch the sunset on ocean and it was beautiful for me to describe.

Nothing of interest during this period except that we sighted the coasts of Ireland on one side and Scotland on the other as we sailed down the north channel onto Irish sea on our way to the port of Liverpool where we disembarked. The transports were all anchored and surely presented a wonderful view as they lay "at ease." There was a continuous passing off smaller craft on the river from both sides loaded with people going to their work in Liverpool on one side and Bristol on the other-both being large and industrious looking cities. Ferry boats took us from transport to the docks of Bristol where we were landed with our packs and barracks-bags (which were very heavy). Marching to the Great Western Railway station we boarded those queer -looking little coaches of a typical English railroad that looked so much like a toy railroad in comparison to our systems. After once starting, they are capable of quite good speed. Leaving Bristol we rode through a beautiful and picturesque section of England where there was a succession of very pretty scenery, The red slated roofs on the the red and white walls of the English style houses were greatly enhanced by many finely shaped green trees and well-kept lawns full of pretty flowers. Stopped long enough at Birmingham to have a cup of coffee which gave us a chance to stretch our somewhat tired and cramped legs for we were rather crowded in those stuffy little compartments, six of us riding in each compartment with our packs , barrarks bags and rifles .From Birmingham we traveled south through England gazing on the scenic beauty and marvelling at the intense cultivation of every available strip of ground, so unlike the methods pursued by our American farmers .Everywhere there are long stretches of well trimmed hedge, this being the style of fence used by the English farmers to separate their small farms. Cows were plentiful in the pastures. Stopped for orders in the historic old college town of Oxford which gave me an opportunity for a good view of the city and all the university buildings. An aviation field opposite the city afforded us a view of a large number of aeroplanes used for instruction purposes.

Passed an interment camp along the railroad which was full of German prisoners of war and the sight of them caused some excitement amongst our troops as that was our first view of a live German soldier close at hand. My first impressions were that they looked very slow and stupid. We detrained at Winchester, a very old and rustic looking place of large size. Our first ideas of English streets were very disgusting as they wormed about the town amongst rows of old well built houses like the trail of a snake, up hill and down. Our camp here was at the edge of the town on top of a hill and adjoining an English " Tommies " camp with whom we did not dare to mingle in their cafe or canteen, due to the fact that the American troops who proceeded us in this camp had a tendency to beat up the Tommies on the least excuse on account of their extreme arrogance. Our menu while here consisted of salmon balls, orange marmalade, tea, goat butter and hard tack and there was more than one grunt of disapproval. Our first night in barracks here some of us decided to cut up a little and it was Sergeant Harry Jordan's wish that we have a little oriental dancing and due to the fact that I was always dancing at the slightest chance (unfortunately for me) selected me for the main act. Mounted on a platform made of two boards laid across two bunks, with an army blanket wrapped around my body, waiting for the Sergeant to make his introductory speech. I was all ready to do my act as Fatima, the Queen of the Orient. The barracks was in darkness and as he flashed a flashlight on the place where I stood, I unfolded the blanket ready to dance when some ungrateful wretch in amongst those two hundred and fifty company mates of mine threw a hob nail shoe right in the pit of my stomach which settled the show then and there. I have the satisfaction of knowing that I was avenged, for the next evening I poured a bucket of ice cold water over him as he lay in his bunk and he had to get out of it and share up with another bunkie for that evening. But there were no more oriental shows attempted.

Arriving at Southampton, we were loaded aboard boats and waited for darkness to set in when we slid noiselessly across the English Channel and landed at Le Havre, France. In the camp at Le Havre we disposed of our barracks bags and regulation hats and were issued overseas caps. Many of the boys had purchased good Stetson hats out of their own pockets and rather than throw them in the pile with regular army issue stuff, they traded them to the French people for a bottle of wine. A high wire netting fence surrounded our camp here which kept us penned up but the French natives passed the bottles thru the fence to us in exchange for hats, shoes, blankets, or what have you? There were also many Belgian people located near this camp.

Left Le Havre for a place called Oeu.

Arriving at Oeu, we were met at the station by a Scottish band of bagpipers, who looked very odd in their Kilties, But who were quite adept with their bagpipes. From here we marched to Incheville, France for a course of instruction under the English for a number of weeks. Took up field maneuvering, bomb throwing, signaling, and and numerous other instructions which were interesting, but our feelings for the English were always at odds and for an evening in the French cafes, there were plenty of spirited arguments. There was an English supply train detachment located in this village and they seemed to feel as though the place belonged to them until our outfit convinced them differently. Our eats, all the time we had any dealings with the English in this section, were hardly sufficient and more than one of our boys went to bed hungry. Fortunately for me, I was listed as the company barber and therefore could pick up extra money in my spare time. After working an hour or two after drill in the afternoon, I would take what I earned and go to the village where I could buy some figs, jam, goat butter, and a slice of bread and taking it back to camp, I would call Harry Jordan, Pat McDonough, Eddie Brown, John (Huskey) and myself and we would sit under an apple tree and satisfy our hunger. Pat and I bunked in an old factory building here and the floor was pretty hard thru our one army blanket spread out. Later I moved over into a farmer's barn where John's squad was billeted and Huskey and I bunked together until he was taken sick with the mumps and sent to a hospital at a place I think they called Dieppe. We were in training here until June 5, 1918.

Marched to Blangey and billeted for the night.

Londonieres and billeted in barns.

June 7th and 8th

Hiked to Neufchatel where we were issued rifles in exchange for the ones we had been carrying. We were seeing plenty of the French people by this time as we advanced farther into the heart of France and at first they seemed very queer to us. What with their oxen hitched to their funny framed wagons and plodding along the road with their wooden shoes, they seemed odd to us and when they spoke rapidly in their native tongue, a continual babble gabble like so many geese! At least so it sounded to us. That were more receptive to us though than the English and we warmed to them more quickly.

Hadol, France and from there to De Urimenil here where we drilled for some time. A very small place, but as it was a billeting place for the troops and on the the way towards the sector we were headed for, we encamped here for drilling. My first glimpse of the French Chasseurs with their attractive blue uniforms and caps and who are a crack part of the French Army. A detachment was located here and we came in contact with them of an evening in the little stores and cafes in the village.

Left De Urimenil by truck and arrived at Felleringen, Alsace near the Swiss boarder where we continued our drilling. I shall never forget this place for I most of all the placed I saw in France. Nestling in a valley between mountains, it presented a picture not easily forgotten. As the sun rose over the top of the range in the morning you could look up at the rich green mountain side down which a clear stream wound it's way like a silver thread and see herds of cows, sheep, and mountain goats grazing always tended by the peasant boys in their picturesque Alsatian costumes and as they watched their herds they occupied their time practicing on some sort of horn or trumpet which they carried with them. As these sounds floated down into the valley, attracting your attention to the view above you on the mountainside, they beauty of it simply could not be resisted and if it is ever my good fortune to ever visit France again I am going right back to Felleringen in Alsac to revive old memories. The roses in the gardens here seem so large and beautiful. On the 4th of July our band gave a concert in the yard of the large and wonderful Catholic church here and the villagers and our boys could not have mixed together more sociably than what they did on this occasion. A large number of the boys taught the young French folk how to dance American style which they were quite anxious to learn. Huskey and I were quite fortunate in making the acquaintance of three gentlemen of the village at the local hotel known as " Hotel De Boeuf " and they surely treated us royally during our stay in Felleringen. They seemed of some importance in the village as one was the Burgermeister, another a munitions manufacturer and the third a designer in one of the large lace factories located in the village near the town. They spoke French, Swiss, and English and when they discovered that John and I could also, a very warm friendship sprang up between us when we found we could all converse agreeably and this led to more than one pleasant meeting of an evening during our stay there. I have a warm spot in my heart for the pretty little town of Felleringen, France.

Hiked to the De Galbert section in the Vosges Mts. where we were to take over our first trenches, arrived there on July 9th.

Relieved an American outfit who had been holding these trenches and that night I went on guard on number 3 post at midnight. We are now in the first stages of the great World War and this is the beginning point for our outfit the 138th Regiment, this being our first direct contact with the enemy lines. We were told that this had been a quiet sector for several years. but the way things progressed, I felt that someone had lied, for I had no more than assumed my position than it seemed as if all hell had turned loose and everything was on fire. The night was very dark but out in No Man's Land beyond our parapet the German patrols heard the noise of changing guards in our trenches and cut loose with a charge from their trenches. A German " Potato Masher" grenade exploded in front of my post throwing dirt all over me and at the same time they sent up some red flares to furnish light for them which made it seem as if everything was on fire. Could see nothing in the darkness, but fired my clip of 5 bullets in the direction from which the grenade came and for the rest of the watch on guard, I was not molested. Such was my "Baptism of Fire". While in these trenches Lt. Sutherland of St. Louis and of our company and myself took some snapshots with his camera.

Left the trenches and arrived at Kruth on July 20th where we remained in barracks for several days. Went to a French picture show the first night we were there and had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of a refuge from the war zone who was a wood chopper in the vicinity of Kruth and he invited me to his home where we partook of a very enjoyable lunch.

Aboard trucks we left for Saulxures. While in this area we drilled and were issued new clothing. Had a nice stay in this place. We were billeted in a little town adjoining Saulxures, where there was a large lace and thread factory. Pat and I were bunking in a hallway of a barn, next to a stall containing a cow and a goat so we did not lack company and we tried to be considerate enough not to disturb there evening rest. occasionally a chicken or two wandered over our bunk but did not cause us any undue concern. There was a camp of Russian soldiers located on the outskirts of Saulxures who where employed chopping wood in the forest. They could speak polish, so one Sunday afternoon Budziewiski and Golumbienski, two polish soldiers in our company, took me with them to spend the afternoon at this Russian camp and I must admit it was a pretty well spent, before we were through. A blanket spread under a willow tree, three Russian soldiers, two polish soldiers, myself, a convenient French canteen with plenty of champagne and a Swiss refugee lad to get it. For us furnished the ingredients for one of the largest afternoons I witnesses while in France. I still prize as one of my souvenirs, a wide leather belt presented to me by one of the Russian soldiers as a remembrance, which by the way, is very nattily worn over the blouses as a necessary part of their uniform. I could'nt speak a word to them but Bud did all the interpreting a we had a very successful day. Bud returned to our camp in time for "retreat" and Golumbienski and I remained at the Russian camp a while longer. To me was entrusted the job of getting Goldy back to our camp and probably he does not remember what a time I had with him alongside the narrow-gauge railroad track before I succeeded in getting him home.

Left Saulxures and arrived at Le Collet in the Voges Mt. where we were billeted for some time in the barracks completely hidden from the enemy under the sheltering thickness of the pine woods. Spent most of my time doing barber work. One day the lieutenant in charge of battalion headquarters sent word for me to report there and before doing so found a Cadillac limousine with driver, awaiting me with orders to drive me to the general's hut at divisional headquarters to do his tonsorial work. It is costmary for all men in service to salute an officer's car with it's flag on the radiator whenever it passes them at any time and you can imagine the chesty feeling. I could not help but entertain, to have them saluting me as I passed along the lines on the way to general's quarters. You could easily pardon this feeling if you've been in the ranks yourself and knew it was a thing you had to do yourself whenever the occasion demanded it. We had plenty of opportunities here of watching the anti-aircraft guns shell the boche airplanes as they circled over the woods trying to locate are our camp. Lying back in the grass one afternoon, I saw a shell rise from a gun hidden in the woods somewhere and make a center hit breaking the German plane in half and setting it on fire high in the air. It did not take him long to land!

Hiked from our position at Le Collet over a long and quite scenic road to Gerardmen, a rail-head, where troops and supplies were brought from points in France. Was billeted here on the second floor of an old house near the catholic church. Were stationed here for two days.

Marched to the small town of Corcieux at the edge of which there were some French barracks and in which we were quartered for two days. which we spent mostly inside the barracks due to the fact that there was unusual German airplane activity over this camp and we were compelled to keep under cover as much as possible to prevent the birdmen from seeing any undue troop movement in that vicinity. A French canteen had some very good champagne and the afternoon that we packed our rolls to leave camp, John Huskey, Tillie Tyra and myself sat down around the corner of the canteen building and enjoyed some of this said champagne.

At La Houssiere, a short distance from Corcieux, we boarded the train for Luneville. I said the train but I must offer apologies for that statement, as the little chicken-coop box cars with their signs " 40 Hommes and 8 Chevaux," looked more like a cattle train. We traveled at night on this trip and in the particular car (or matchbox) I was in, we were so crowded you could barely move. I attempted sleep during the night and from sheer fatigue managed to grab a few winks. But when daylight broke, before I could raise my head, I had to shove some dirty brute's hob-nail shoes out of my face where he had parked them sometime during the night. I didn't blame him though under the circumstances, for probably my feet were in some other fellows face as they felt as though that were not connected to the rest of my body due to the fact that another fellow was sleeping lying across my midsection. Some ride we had but lots of fun with it!

Marched to Vigneuil and billeted here until September 9th, in barracks where we had to keep under cover pretty well on account of the "Boche aeroplanes" . Remember this place well on account of the fact that there were quite a number of trees of large purple plums and we ate our share of them.

Raining. And a cold and dreary one too. Our march led us to Monnacourt, where we billeted in the wet woods. Pat and I pitched our pup tent under a couple of trees and built it over a pile of small branches which we cut off the trees and spread on the ground, with our slickers spread over them to keep the running water along the ground from wetting our backs as we tried to sleep.

In rain and mud, we marched thru Nancy at night to billet at Villers. Such a night! Pitch dark, no lights, continual rain and plenty of mud. It was surely miserable for us to have to circle the town twice under conditions like those, but such was the case, due to the fact that our leader lost the road in the darkness, which compelled us to go over the same route twice in the continual rain that was pouring down and no need to state we were like a bunch of drowned rats. Bill Armstrong of our company became so fatigued here that he dropped out of ranks and spent the night at Nancy, rejoining us the next day.

More rain and mud for our hike from Villers to Champeneville where we pitched tents on the wet ground.

Hiked thru the mud to a woods ten kilometers from Champeneville where we camped for six days. Many German planes are flying over the woods and we hear a continual bombing going on in the direction of Nancy.

Put in the day drilling in the woods here. Saw many Algerians in the woods here as there are two divisions located in this vicinity who are being used as laborers on the roads hereabouts. They have their regulation outfits on which consist of little red fez on their head, red short jackets and blue full-cut pantaloons which make them look very odd to us. We are on the ST. Mihiel front here. Nancy was subjected to a bombing last night which caused many of the residents to leave in haste. There is a saw mill and a brewery a short distance down the road from our camp. Huskey, who has been attached to the Scout section of our battalion (Personal Note from Robert Huskey, Found out from my dad that grandpa told him that he was working as a "sniper"), came over to see me and we sat on a hillside with a bunch of our company fellows, singing and making merry, as it was a warm moonlit evening and very pleasant.

Again we announce Rain! But it is payday and everybody is happy in spite of the rain. We are in reserve here at St Mihiel ready to be rushed to the front if needed.

10am and we are leaving the woods where we slept and floundered around for six days, marched thru ankle deep mud, to a place about 10 Kilometers distant, where after a short rest, we boarded a fleet of French trucks for a 75 mile ride to the Verdun sector. While we were resting, Pat and I ate a can of salmon and some hard tack. We had a rough crowded ride on the trucks. Passed thru the nice town of Toul where we noticed soldiers of all countries engaging in the war. Noticed two or three aviation fields adjoining the town and also a very beautiful cathedral here. An amusing incident occurred while crossing the bridge leading into the city. Three young women in nurses street garb, stood midway on the bridge, eating Malaga grapes. As our truck passed them, I extended my hand for some grapes, saying " Bon Jour Mademoiselle" and as she placed a bunch of grapes in my hand, she answered back in plain old honest-to-god American, " Don't kid yourself, I am Yank the same as you are", and and laughed to think that I had mistaken her for a French miss. And , of course, the rest of the boys in the truck gave me the laugh but I got the grapes anyway. We started on our ride at 4pm Wensday evening and rode all night. It was a clear moonlight night and as we passed numerous French 155's, American infantry in units in trucks, medical corps, American artillery units and bodies of men of all branches of service, all traveling in the same direction. We were getting near the battle front and roads were literally alive with moving troops of all descriptions which was quite a spectacle as seen by night.

Rain for a short time in the morning. Passed thru several towns that had been torn to pieces by bombing. A large church in one place was only a skeleton. Other buildings were leveled to the ground, a mass of ruins. We were unloaded at a place called Baricourt and hiked across country to Foucacourt where we found the billets (hay barns) were occupied so we plowed thru mud and water to a woods some distance from town where Pat and I got busy and pitched our tent as it started raining again. We haven't eaten anything since wednesday noon and as this is 12 o'clock Thursday, we feel a bit hungry, so we opened a can of beans and poured them into our mess pans and used the empty can to make some coffee. Pat and I have made coffee a number of times in the woods where we have camped but none seemed to taste as good as this! There is a large aviation camp at the outskirts of this woods. Our kitchen got lost somewhere and we arrived here tired and worn from riding all night and with nothing to eat but the beans we had, but the officers would not let us go to the little village of Foucacourt where we perhaps could have bought something to eat off the villagers, with our own money. Seems as though our outfit has always been half hungry ever since we landed in France and many of the boys have spent a considerable part of their pay for something to eat. Our officers say it can't be helped but the feeling seems to be that they are not going : to the front" for us, especially since other outfits that we meet tell us that they eat fairly good considering the problem it is to provide food stuffs over here. Some of our men do not hesitate to state that our officers are not losing out on their eats, good beds and their champagne but i guess that is part of the privileges of being an officer.

Suprised by a visit from LeRoy Rogiers of ST. Jacobs, Ill. who is a corporal in the 124th Field Artillery, 32nd Division, who are camped in a place near us. His outfit took part in the bombardment of Mont Sec near Metz where we were in the reserve lines in support. He told me Bud Lory's outfit ( 5th Field Artillery) was located near them but he did not get to see Buddy or Fulbert Beck either one. We left Foucacourt at midnight, thru mud and a misting rain on our way to the front and we passed many French 155's resting beside the road. Also passed the American 60th Field Artillery and the 124th Field Artillery all headed for the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Walked 15 kilometers and arrived at a place where there were a lot of good, dry billets but for some reason we pitched our pup tents on the wet ground under a tree. our eats consisted of a piece of bread and some " corned willie". We're issued some coffee and sugar for our breakfast but were not allowed to build a fire, so that part of the ration did no do us much good for breakfast. Am going to lie down for a short nap but am very hungry and also worn out for at least three weeks. And I'm not singing the "Blues" either, for it's a actual fact for I feel like my stomach is touching my backbone. Arrived at this camp at 6:30 am on Sept 20th , have been walking since midnight of the 19th . Slept from 7:30am to 1 o'clock and was called to go on a ration detail. Left camp at 7:30 pm in the evening on a 17 Kilometer hike. It was a clear, beautiful moonlight night, ideal for hiking, but the men were all so worn out from the lack of rest and proper food, that they were all hiking on their nerve. It was the most grueling hike I have indulged in so far and I was genuinely glad at it's ending. At Aquaville we passed a number of " tanks" and numerous troops. Passed several towns that had been shelled by artillery fire and the ruin was complete for there was not a single house left intact. At Newvilly, while we were waiting for moving orders, a long range Boche cannon was shelling the road we were stopping on and quite a few shells dropped within 100 feet of us, which caused us to wish to keep on moving out of range for wherever they landed they always left an ugly looking hole in the ground. From the last village up to the woods in which out dugouts are located, there is a camouflaged road built with walls of canvas or burlap, painted green like the trees to screen approaching troops and supplies. Aerial activity here is very strong.

Slept until 11:30 and woke up feeling starved, for our last meal which was 4pm yesterday only consisted of a small portion of coffee. Today we had a cup of coffee, slice of bread and a can of " corned willie" for the day's meal. Picked some blackberries to satisfy my hunger but we can not go very far from our dugouts on account of cannon shells being heaved over quite frequently by the Heines and also aeroplanes flying over head. Last night as we entered the woods in which our dugouts are located, an aerial duel took place over our heads between one of our planes and a meddlesome German who was snooping around over our lines and the rat-a-tat-tat of their guns was thrilling for a time until Heinie thought it best to hit for his side of the battle line. Sergt. Neville in charge of our platoon, was all "vin-blanced" up and becoming rather excited, rushed us into the dugouts in a hurry but not until the duel overhead was all over with. Our dugouts by the way are about ten feet underground and bomb-proof ,but oh! what a place the dugout was that I was in! little Tillie Tyra from Texas, that slept across from my bunk said that the walls were so full of cooties it looked like the walls were moving, but he got angry when I told him he got hold of a bad bottle of cognac. For sanitary reasons we had to sleep feet to feet. Pat's bunk joined mine and we had gone to bed but a few minutes when he cut loose with a yell and a kick and when i asked him if he was in the same fix that Tillie Tyra was, he said a big rat ran across his chest. believe me, I put on my overseas cap and pulled my blanket over my head for I didn't want any of them running over my face. Yesterday evening we passed the 91st Division and today saw some of the 60th Field Artillery fellows in the woods. A little narrow gauge railroad passes in front of our dugout which is used to transport supplies and ammunition.

Today there is ceaseless work and scurrying about of the different artillery batteries who are placing their guns which are thick as flies and of all sizes. There are so many guns here that in places they are set hub to hub and all are camouflaged with a roof or canopy of burlap covered with leaves or painted green. "Old Fritz" is in for a merry old time and shortly too, for the "doughboys" and the " wagon soldiers" are all set for the word "Over The Top" on the 26th.

Went on a detail to Battalion Headquarters at 8 o'clock in the evening. 23 men of the company and myself had to go on a detail for our next day's rations and we walked twelve miles (round trip) through rain and mud ankle deep without getting any rations at all. Such a night, wet to the skin and so dark you could hardly see to walk. The roads were full of trucks, wagons, cannons, horses, caissons, ambulances, and automobiles, all floundering along in the mud and rain. I never saw such a gathering of war material in one place. Passed thru a village that was being shelled and saw a big one land on the railroad tracks near where we were and you can be sure that the part where it landed, went to pieces. If you have any doubts about it, I haven't, for I saw it leave and it was entirely too close to be comfortable! We got back to the dugout about 2am.

Most of this day was spent in and near our dugout. Had two fairly good meals today. The little town near our dugout is known as Abbreville. About 6pm the Germans shelled the road, steady between this town and our camp which was being used by our transports. In the afternoon we got orders to pack all our surplus belongings in a roll and put a tag on it with our name and company, which was to be called for after we returned from the front. If we returned for it, good and well, and if we went "West" during action, we could have no more use for the roll. All we took into the fighting line was our mess kit, canteen, helmet, gas mask, ammunition, and rifle. And that was enough! Left all my barber tools in my roll. A good many of these rolls were never called for after the battle.

All day there has been a nervous atmosphere about the dugouts and the officers quarters, for tomorrow morning will tell the tale for many of us! We have all been in minor activities since we landed in France but this is to be the supreme test, and from all the information we can gather, the turning point of the struggle. I have been assigned to our machine gun company as a carrier during this action and Huskey, my chum is still with the scout section as a "sniper" and sharpshooter. They say "going over the top" makes a fellow feel queer and unsettled and I guess it does but when John came over to see me for the last time before the action started, we sat down under a tree and very soberly talked things over and agreed that if either survived the shock, he would immediately look or inquire about the other and the bidding each other goodbye we never saw each other again until the action was over, for our outfits were stationed at different points during the drive and his work and mine were of different natures. Funny how some fellows have a premonition that they will not come out of it alright. John, Pat, myself and a lot of the boys in the company were supremely confident that we would make the "hill" as they say, but some of the others were very down cast all day. Eugene Comisky of St. Louis, towards evening, called me aside and pulling a photo of his wife and baby from under his shirt bosom, showed it to me and , with tears in his eyes, told me he would never see them again. When I tried to cheer him up , he said he felt as if he were going "west" as soon as the struggle started and later developments proved it so, for I passed his dead body on the battlefield about twenty or thirty minutes after we went over the top. Was in the army with him since 1917 and didn't even know he was married. The same experience happened to our company clerk Harold Worthy of Jerseyville, Ill. went to the company quarters in the evening to have my papers fixed up for identification purposes and he remarked that he was surely glad he had his paper work all fixed up and in proper order, for that was the last clerical work he would have to do and when I asked him what he meant, he told me he was "going over the river" early in the morning. I would not believe him but we found him in a shell hole, a short time after we went over, with a machine gun bullet hole squarely between the eyes. His Cousin, of the same name and place in Illinois, was found a short distance from him. It has always seemed strange to me that these boys should have felt that way. during the night of Sept. 25th we were ordered to advance through the Vauquois Woods to our positions in dugouts on the sides and top of a hill to await the "zero" hour. 

Passing through these woods in inky darkness we had to keep our gas masks on and walk with one hand on the the fellows shoulder ahead, for the Germans were pounding the woods around us with gas shells with every kind of "smell " in them and we would have choked without our masks. Reaching the dugouts , we remained in them while our artillery units started a barrage which lasted from midnight until 5:45 on the morning of the 26th which was the "zero" hour for us. Promptly at 5:45 a.m the big guns were as silent as if they had all vanished and we came up out of our dugouts and with our bayonets on the end of our guns, many smiling and with a cigarette in their mouth, we went over the top after the "Heines", through a fog of shell smoke, glare of rockets and signals that would have been a credit to any Fourth Of July celebration. The pyrotechnic display would have been wonderful to watch had it not been that we were engaged in a more strenuous task and we had no time to absorb the beauty of it. The Germans were so heavily fortified on Vauguois Hill that it was quite an effort to dislodge them, but our artillery literally tore the top off the hill, forcing them to retreat to Cheppy where they made their next stand, but not until after some very healthy fighting in the hills and fields beyond Vauguois. It was rumored about our outfit that we lost 6000 men in this mornings engagement. I know that some of my best army buddies went "west" in this the opening day of our fight. We were battling the famous Potsdam Guards of Germany who were massed on this front to stop the advance but they were driven back in spite of their fierce resistance. And so it went on for six days and nights, through rain and mud, eating very little, a cigarette occasionally and a drink of water here and there ( which was a scarce article) and the the nearest picture to hell I ever wish to imagine, for the awful uproar of exploding artillery shells all about you, leaving large gaping holes in the ground, grenades, one pounders, machine gun fire, barrages, airplanes, rifle fire and gas shells was simply terrible and made the earth tremble about you. How a human being can go thru such things and live to tell the tale is hard to understand. It certainly is not very soothing to the nerves.

We drove the Boche out of the Cheppy and across fields to Exermont where they entrenched themselves for another stand and it was here that we were relieved by the First Division, U.S. Army who continued the driving backwards of the Germans. At Cheppy , just at the outskirts of the village is where I captured my first German who was hiding in a dugout and whom I turned over to the Military Police at Cheppy but not until I had disposed of three other friends of his who were dodging in and out of the shrubbery which grew along a little narrow gauge railroad which ran through the edge of the village of Cheppy. The Germans left Cheppy in such haste that we found clothing , boots, guns and ammunition scattered everywhere where they had to abandon the things in their hurry to retreat. My shoes and socks were so thoroughly rain soaked that I immediately donned a pair of German Infantry coarseboots, which I wore for several days until I could get a pair of American hobnails off the battle field. The fields and hollows about Cheppy were alive with machine gun nests and "pill boxes" which were made of steel walls and a machine gun mounted on a moveable arm inside, the barrel extending through a slit in the wall facing the enemy position and a graduated scale of heights in feet, painted on the wall next to the gun. Our baby tanks surely made short work of most of those " pill boxes" as they were called. Brave and noble fellows, those boys who were in the Tank Corps, for they rode right into the very flame of a gun in order to demolish the machine gun nest, or else they were traveling over a mine infested field assisting the advance of the infantrymen! I have all due respect for those lads in their little caterpillar tanks, for they were a game lot of battlers and got plenty of action.

Being relieved by the 1st Division at a point just out of Exermont, we withdrew to Cheppy again where we were given orders to stay in support of the new division at the front, so we "dug in" for the night in an open field at the outskirts of the town. At the end of our drive when we reassembled at Cheppy, the first roll call of our company produced 28 men out of 250 who were there to answer "present and accounted for". This number was added to eventually after some more of the men located their outfit. This was the first time I had seen John Huskey since we went into action and you never saw two dirty looking, tired fellows more glad to see each other than we were, for both of us came out of it all without even a scratch for a souvenir. And we were dirty too! Both had a clay mud mixture in a 6 day growth of whiskers, mud caked clothing, torn raincoats and leggings and we looked more like tramps than soldiers but we were happy just the same that we were both safe and sound, for the time being anyway. After we had chatted for awhile about our experiences, we took our shovels and dug a hole the length of our body and into which we put some grass and weeds, spreading our raincoats over it for a bed and using our helmets for pillows. Digging the hole was not so much for the purpose of sleeping as it was for protection from the gas shells and shrapnel which the Germans heaved over us all night long. In the morning when we pulled our stiff and tired bones out of our resting place, everything and everybody was covered with a heavy white frost and John and I looked like two ragged weather beaten roosters but we were so happy to be alive we didn't care much what we looked like. The First Division having driven the Germans farther back, we made preparations to retire to a peace area.

October 4th

With Sommies as our landing place, we started hiking back through Abbreville and Azueville, camping overnight in a woods at Beaulieu.

Stayed in barracks at Beaulieu woods all day and night but we did not get much rest here as there were too many ration details going every few minutes. Was made " Acting Corporal" of the 5th squad at this place and my buddy, John, was Corporal of the 6th squad. I did not keep , or want, my Corporalship as I was doing barber work and had no time to take charge of a squad.

We started hiking early and walked 10 lilometers back thru Foueacourt and Vaubecourt, to an open field at the edge of the small village of Sommies where we pitched tents and started drilling. Our division artillery passed thru the village in the evening to a camping place beyond us. recieved quite a bit of welcome at this place. Saw a couple of French Territorial "poilus" cutting some choice steaks off the flank of a departed horse near our camp. Most of the company are afflicted with acute cases of dysentery or enteritis as the doctors class it. John, Elbert Lamn of Alton, Ill. and myself are all in the same pup tent with the same ailment. So weak I can't drill. Confined to quarters.

Sunday, but you'd never know it if you didn't look at the calender. Spent the day fixing up the camp, that is those that were able to move about. The air is full of aeroplanes as there are two aviation camps near here. Church services this evening. The big guns are continuously roaring in a heavy fire towards the front.

Pancakes for breakfast. Rained all day with some heavy hail in between spurts. Sick as a dog and in bed all day.

Nothing but drill today but I didn't , for I was sick in bed the blessed day long. Heard the band play for "Retreat" tonight. The first time for a long time.

So weak today can hardly stand. Had reported several times at the infirmary for treatment but they always gave you C.C. or O.D. pills for anything and everything and told you to go back to drill, no matter whether you were ready to drop over or not. So close to caving in today that I reported to the Battalion Infirmary on orders of our lieutenant, for removal to a base hospital, but they returned me to the company, marked duty, where upon Capt. Bottger returned to the infirmary with me and raised such "hell" around there that Lt. Broadhead tagged me "Acute Enteritis" and sent me by ambulance, with a bunch of similar cases, to the 139th Field Hospital evacuation camp of the 110th Sanitary Train where we stayed all night at Vaubecourt where the Field Hospital was located at this time. Gave my German Lugar pistol to Ernest Jones of the Sanitary Train to take care of for me until I came back from the base hospital. Yesterday 125 allied planes flew over our camp with a roaring of motors worse than thunder and we heard later that they had bombed Metz with 340 tons of bombs, causing great havoc with that German stronghold.

Had rice, jam, and a biscuit for breakfast after which we were loaded in an ambulance and taken to the evacuation camp where we turned in all our equipment and were tagged again preparatory to being sent to the base hospital. I had a German saw tooth bayonet that I had taken off a German prisoner in the Argonne drive and which I kept for a souvenir, but at the Evacuation Camp they said we could not take anything extra with us to the base, so I gave it to one of the Red Cross nurses located there. She was from somewhere around Decatur, Ill. I wonder if she ever came back alive to the U.S. I recall pasting a slip of paper on the handle with my name and company on it and the date and place of battle it was taken, as a souvenir for her. At 12 o'clock we were loaded aboard a real American hospital train, fully equipped with all medical necessities and nice clean beds to rest you weary bones. Just before leaving at 3 o'clock a nurse came aboard and gave us some cigarettes and hot chocolate. Quite different treatment than what we received from our own company medical corps, I assure you! We have quite a few wounded German prisoners aboard our train who are also being taken to a hospital somewhere in France. Two young German lads, (prisoners) in my coach tell me they were glad they were mad prisoners as they were taken from their homes in Germany and put in service very much against their wishes. One had his arm splintered by shrapnel and the other was wounded in the neck and chest. There were about 400 German prisoners working in and near Vaubacort doing all kinds of odd jobs. Passed through Dillote where there were some large French barracks. A new cemetery full of fresh graves lay just across the road and a bunch German prisoners were cleaning and fixing up about the place. Large bunches of Indo-Chinese subjects of France are mending the roadbed of the railroad over which we are traveling. They are funny creatures, with their red fez hats, blooner pants, dark complexions and black teeth and chattering away in their strange dialect.

Wonder what Huskey is doing? Poor buddy, he is as sick as I am but I believe he would rather die in that water soaked hole of Sommies before he would report back the second time after they had refused to mark him hospital on his first examination at the Battalion Infirmary! The ornery inexperienced pill slingers!

At Laheycourt we passed an American roundhouse with plenty of engines in it. A beautiful historic old cathedral located here. A stockade full of German prisoners also. Harsman, Schulz, Bradenbeck, Jim Troublefield, Roy McCrady, Hans Johnson, and myself all members of K Co. 138th Infantry, are all in the same coach of the hospital train. Troops of all nations are to be seen in camps along the railroad and it is rather picturesque along here especially after just coming from the bleak and dreary battle fields. Below Auzecourt we stopped for quite awhile and I talked to a bunch of drafted boys from Iowa, who were being sent up to the 91st Division (they were to our right in the Argonne drive) to be used as replacement troops. One of them told me he had only had a months training. Large cathedral at this place. Also an aviation field where we saw them towing in a crippled plane on a trailer. It is 5:45pm and dark so we can not see anything from the rear window.

After riding all night woke up at 5:45 am as we pulled into St. Florentin-Vergigny, which we had passed thru once before on our way from Herol to Incheville. It is a French railhead and very busy little place. A whole train load of French Arabians passed us here. Town of Brienon at 6am where many canal boats and small water craft are to be seen. Also a large French camp of wooden billets. We are traveling towards the south of France and the roads, woods, and rustic beauty of everything is wonderful. At Chenill-Apoigny large warehouses are being erected. An abundance of vineyards are noticeable in this section of country. It is level, prairie land here, and intensely cultivated, every foot of it, as far as the eye can see and it is wonderful to look out over the passing landscape and see the narrow strips of many colors and kinds of vegetation and trees, At Auxerre-St, Gervais which were reached at 7am there were four large beautiful old cathedrals, many warehouses, and to the left of the station, a wide open yard in which there were hundreds of aeroplanes, placed side by side. The canals and trees here beggar description for they are simply grand. Angry at 7:20am. Had breakfast of black coffee and a slice of bread. A rare sight here, an American windmill in a field near the tracks. Plenty of vineyards and big trees hereabouts. Town of Vincelles at 7:40am, a small place, but as usual with all such places, something of charm about it to make it picturesque. Passed Cravant-Bazarnes at 7:50 am where we saw loads and loads of cattle, evidently to be used for fresh meat for the American forces. It is raining. Sunshine would improve the ride about 100%. A train load of newly arrived Ohio draft rookies were on a siding here and were headed for the front for their "Initiation" ceremony! It was rather amusing to we fellows on the hospital train (who had all been in action already) to have several of these recruits yell over to some of our fellows " Hello Rookies !"

Pregilbert at 8am where the pretty canal (of which France has many) again runs parallel to the tracks. The hard, smooth white roads thru here are like a boulevard. The French attendant in our car told us that information had been received over the wire that the Kaiser a had given up and peace could be expected within 10 0r 15 days. Personally, I do not believe him.

Mailly-la-Ville at 815am near a high rocky crest and from the train it looked like a large beautiful old place. Passed, in succession, Chatel-Censoir, Caulauges-sur-Yonne and Surgy, where we saw a large flock of snow white turkeys and some odd, fat ducks. this little town looked unusually prim and tidy. Just out of this village are a goodly number of large columns of natural rock rising in the air on the crest of a hill and they appear as if they were carved by human hands instead of being worn by time and the elements of the weather.

Clamecy at 9:05am and a small railroad town. The French engines and cars, like the English ones, seem like toys compared to ours, at which the French natives look with wonder.

Maulot at 9:30 and Billy-sur-Noilly at 9:35am. here a unit of our Engineering Corps of the U.S. Army were making a road bed for another railroad. Etais, a place with an abundance of well trimmed hedges fences about the fields and homes. Several old fashion Holland style wooden windmills can be seen near the hills in the distance. The many snow white cows grazing in the green fields, with here and there a white macadam road winding about, makes a picture worth while.

Perroy at 10:20. Everywhere we see old men, women, or children herding their cows and goats in the fields, in the rain.

Donzy (Nievre) at 10:40am. where we stopped for orders. All small places are occupied by some unit of the American forces. Passed through Snilly-La Tour, St. Martin-St. Laureut which we reached at 11:30 and we started to eat dinner which consisted of coffee, cooked onions, and potatoes, a piece of beef, soup, piece of bread, and a spoon of molasses. Passed Cosne about this time. This was the largest medical base supply in France during the war. Near this place, on top of a large hill, is a French nobleman's chateau or home which surely was a lovely little town by itself. The Loire River runs parallel to the tracks here. Vineyards are still plentiful as this is all wine country. Pouilly-Sur-Loire, Mesves-Buley, Le Charite, Trousauges, Pougress-les-Eaux, Fourchambault, all small places which we passed thru reaching Nevers, an industrial city and railhead at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. We backing into a siding here and a whole train load of the Michigan Aero Squadron pulled in on the track next to us. They were headed for the front. I think they were newly arrived units for they seemed to be very interested in the wounded Germans aboard our hospital train.

Anyone who has been here for awhile sort of loses his curiosity in looking at German prisoners. Nevers is a fairly large and thriving city with a fine old cathedral and a pretty canal where you can see teams or single horses drawing the boats along their way to their destinations. We reached Seincaze at 6:10pm and were pushed onto a siding where we remained until 11:30 that night after which we were pulled directly into the hospital grounds and unloaded, passing single file into a building where our "pedigree" was again taken and then we were assigned to our wards. A sergeant of the 137th Infantry, Bradenbeck, Schulz and myself were put in Ward II, Base Hospital No.35. It was 1am when we got to bed and very shortly the nurse brought a bowl of hot soup with some buttered bread which was all I had to eat since 11 o'clock in the morning. It was rather late to reach bed but nothing unusual around the hospital as there were trainloads of sick and wounded troopers arriving at all times of the night and they were accustomed to such things.

End of Volume I

Volume II

Feel a little better this morning. I had oatmeal with milk and sugar, coffee, bread with butter and jam. Can't eat much though. The nice clean, white, grass, shell-holes, pup-tents, mud and water that I have slept in since reaching France not to mention the rat-infested, cootie-ridden dug-outs and it is with a restful sigh that I sank down on my bed for one peaceful nights sleep. The nurses here, who are American girls, are very nice, especially one slender little black-haired girl, whom one of the other nurses told me was named Miss Rusha Williams of California. She has a smile for one and all of the patients and is never too rushed but what she can find time to minister to your comfort and all the boys in her ward stand by her, to a man. God surely will reward her for all the trying times she undoubtedly encountered while attached to the hospital wards abroad. The poor lad, called Joe, across the aisle from me, surely is suffering. He is paralyzed from a machine gun bullet in his back and his mental and physical condition is pitiable. Boiled and beef and gravy, boiled potatoes, sliced tomatoes, stewed apples and bread for dinner. Gosh, if I had had this stuff up at the lines where I felt good and could eat it, I would have thought I was a King, all I can do here in the shape I am in ,is look at it.

Supper consisted of canned willie, mixed with onions and tomatoes, macaroni, bread, and coffee. Talked across the aisle to a fellow named Stewart, who formerly belonged to the 5th Field Artillery and he told me he knew Buddy Lory and Beck, who belong to the same outfit he used to!

Resting easy today with the exception that I still have acute stomach cramps and after the doctor had massaged my stomach thoroughly, the nurse gave me some peppermint drops. There seems to be an epidemic of what is called Spanish Influenza, of which many of the men are suffering. We have had a number of deaths in this camp from pneumonia, lung troubles, etc. Mars is the nearest town to this camp, known as Base 35.

While lying in bed this evening someone brought in a copy of the English "Dailey Mail" newspaper which relates that Germany has accepted the peace terms of the allies and the order has been passed to the troops to cease firing for 12 hours while a peace conference was held in neutral Switzerland before acceptance of these terms. Everyone in our ward seems cheerful at the prospects of an early end to hostilities. It has been a chilly, bleak and tiresome day.

Still have my cramps. today's paper states that the peace terms were not satisfactory to the Germans and hostilities would continue. On with the dance till until they have enough!

Breakfast consists of oatmeal, coffee, bread and jam but I am still eating crackers soaked in milk as that is all I am to have until further orders.

Thru the window I see alot of Chinese coolies about the grounds, with their queer, little conical hats. That are doing government work about the camp. Nevers, which is the largest city near our camp, is known in the US as the place where much of our good silverware is manufactured and then imported to the States for sale. raining today, as usual, and of course, very miserable. Joe in our ward, has been raising a rumpus again all evening.

More cramps but tried to eat some of the dinner which was composed of cold beans, sliced green tomatoes, bread and tea. Three Englishmen of the Royal Naval Air Service, enroute to Italy to join their unit, became lost and they applied at our mess hall for a feed which they received and continued on their way.

Peace is forgotten and they are battling on, that is, the allies are chasing the Huns back along the lines, the English and American forces preparing to take the city of Lille' while the French and Americans continue to advance all along their sectors, according to the evening papers.

Gloomy and looks like rain again this morning, being chilly as usual. A fellow from H CO. of our regiment, who was brought into our ward yesterday, told me that the 138th

(my outfit) had gone into action again on Oct. 15th at the Somnaedieu sector. Gosh, I hope John Huskey makes it through alright. Had severe cramps and pains again last night and the head nurse changed my diet back to broth and milk again, making me lie in bed all day on account of a change in condition. Did not sleep well last night as a number of the severe cases in the ward were yelling and groaning all night, especially the fellow in the bed next to me who was No. 23. My number is 25.

No change in the cold , damp weather as the sun refuses to shine. The ward orderly brought my clothes and I thought I was going to get out of bed but the doctor ordered them sent away again, so I remain in bed awhile longer.

Gee, this is an awful place! Never slept much last night on account of some of the patients raising the deuce in the ward and when it became daylight it was the same old kind of weather- cold , misty, foggy, dreary day. It's enough to give me the "lim- jams". See in a copy of the New York Herald where the allies have taken Ostend, Lille', and Douai and are at the edge of Bruges, rapidly driving the Germans out of Belgium.

Sunday and no different than any other day. "Joe and Choate" the two "nuts" in our ward had their usual fit of restlessness this morning for about 15b minutes. Things were somewhat livened up in the ward with an "honest-to-goodness" Victrola and even if the records were "old voters" they sure sounded good. Capt. Hunter, of California, who is in charge of this ward, informed a number of the patients who cannot be cured in a period of two months, that they are to be sent back to the U.S. tomorrow. The lucky (and still unlucky) devils!

Still no sunshine! A person would think that we are living in the Artic Region where the sunn never shines for 6 months! A miserable night of cramps and no sleep! Still on my broth and hot milk diet. Something is surely going to happen for the sun came out at noon and shone all afternoon! Everybody made a mark on the wall!

To be continued....

Missourians in World War I

The Doughboy Cafe

History's Time Portal to Old St. Louis

You are the 20662nd Visitor to this Site, since we began counting on 22 March 2002. This page was last updated Sunday, 14-Apr-2002 22:09:20 CDTby Scott K. Williams, Florissant, Mo.