Vette40th
04-18-2012, 5:04pm
This was a letter my Dads Uncle wrote to his Mom in WW1. Kinda cool to see a perspective from on the front lines during that era. My Dad has stuff of family history all the way back to 1515.
"
Dear Mother; -Just a few lines to let
you now that I am still alive and in
good health. I think my last letter to
any of you was July 15. Much can and
has happened in that short time. 1 have
been to the front and over the top a
few times since then by good luck
am out again now without more than a
scratch.
I can truthfully say that one morning
I went over when I never hoped or ex
pected to come back. I have been in
'hell' several times, but that was the
most awful fire I ever faced. They did
"bum" work with their machine guns,
however it wasn't too long before the
time changed. We got their machine
guns and then their small artillery.
What few didn't run toward us and give
up were promptly put out of commission.
For three days Fritz run so fast that
we outdistanced our kitchens so far that
I didn't get anything to eat hardly and
very little water to drink. We had to
be very careful of wells or springs we
came across for the Huns poisoned the
most of the wells as they fell back.
Am making up for lost time now,
however Uncle Sam is giving as all we
need to eat. Good stuff, too. Real
American white bread now. For a long time
we had French baked bread. It's
good and very nutritious, and darker
than ours, so for a change. Our bread
tastes as good as cake. I think after about
a month of feeling like we're having now
I'll too fat for much hiking.
I differ with you when you say you
don't know where I am, moma. You
know I am in France: you know I am
at the front and surely you can look on
the map and find where the Marines are
fighting, so you see you know almost
exactly where I am. you also know
whether I'm still in a machine gun com
pany or not for my address is still the
same.
Yes, I am entitled to one service chev -
ron but don't know whether I'll take the
pains to sew it on my coat or not. Am
not caring anything about them now.
I saw Clifford Whiddon the other day,
He is in the same division I am and
I've been right near him all the while and
never met him until now. It sure did
seem good to see some one that I used to
know in civil life.
Love to all,
Private B. K. Hardison,
78 Co., 6 Regt. U. S. Marines.
Am. E. F., via N.Y.
"
Dear Mother; -Just a few lines to let
you now that I am still alive and in
good health. I think my last letter to
any of you was July 15. Much can and
has happened in that short time. 1 have
been to the front and over the top a
few times since then by good luck
am out again now without more than a
scratch.
I can truthfully say that one morning
I went over when I never hoped or ex
pected to come back. I have been in
'hell' several times, but that was the
most awful fire I ever faced. They did
"bum" work with their machine guns,
however it wasn't too long before the
time changed. We got their machine
guns and then their small artillery.
What few didn't run toward us and give
up were promptly put out of commission.
For three days Fritz run so fast that
we outdistanced our kitchens so far that
I didn't get anything to eat hardly and
very little water to drink. We had to
be very careful of wells or springs we
came across for the Huns poisoned the
most of the wells as they fell back.
Am making up for lost time now,
however Uncle Sam is giving as all we
need to eat. Good stuff, too. Real
American white bread now. For a long time
we had French baked bread. It's
good and very nutritious, and darker
than ours, so for a change. Our bread
tastes as good as cake. I think after about
a month of feeling like we're having now
I'll too fat for much hiking.
I differ with you when you say you
don't know where I am, moma. You
know I am in France: you know I am
at the front and surely you can look on
the map and find where the Marines are
fighting, so you see you know almost
exactly where I am. you also know
whether I'm still in a machine gun com
pany or not for my address is still the
same.
Yes, I am entitled to one service chev -
ron but don't know whether I'll take the
pains to sew it on my coat or not. Am
not caring anything about them now.
I saw Clifford Whiddon the other day,
He is in the same division I am and
I've been right near him all the while and
never met him until now. It sure did
seem good to see some one that I used to
know in civil life.
Love to all,
Private B. K. Hardison,
78 Co., 6 Regt. U. S. Marines.
Am. E. F., via N.Y.