TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS GAZETTE DECEMBER 20, 1918 P. 11
I was assigned to the machine gun company of the 109th Infantry, which is a Pennsylvania outfit. I was assigned while the outfit was in the trenches and not only took up duties of a second lieutenant but of a captain, and two first lieutenants and four second lieutenants, as I was the only officer in the company. I, therefore, have been commanding the company ever since. The job of company commander is some job, take it from me, thinking for 172 men isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially under fire. We have been back in rest for several days, but will return to the fight very shortly. I have been up to the front all day myself and just returned a short while ago. On the way out I was in quite a heavy air raid, which isn’t at all nice. If you can imagine about a dozen street cars being dropped off the top of the bank building into the street, one right after another, you can have a pretty good idea of the raid and the way people scattered in the town hunting for bomb proofs. A nice thing, this old game of war. Sherman must have been a very modest fellow, judging from the way he expresses himself on war; guess there must have been a bunch of ladies around when he thought about it and he didn’t want to go very strong.
Well, the battle is over, and it was hellfire itself. We battled with the Boche until 11 minutes after 11, and take it from me, it was one of the hottest battles I have participated in during the world’s series. We were up against the Hindenburg line from 2:30 p.m. on the 10th until 11:11 a.m. on the 11th. Outside of being gassed the last day, I pulled through without a scratch. I was standing on the field when I looked at my watch and it was 11 o’clock. I was standing where one of the heaviest artillery and machine gun barrages was falling that I ever saw. It didn’t look much like peace. I ordered my command to move up the hill. They were in the act of moving when the enemy ceased fire and our big guns ceased. Then a white flag went up out of the hills and all stopped. The Germans came out of their trenches and we went over and met them and passed out smokes, and foes became friends. Oh, what a change in the space of two minutes. I am glad I fought to the last minute.
By the way your nephew is now a first lieutenant in Uncle Sam’s army, a promotion just 30 days after being made second lieutenant. Expect to be a captain before I get back to the states.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Copeland King Brugman on October 23 and November 11. He was the nephew of Dieginson Brugman and Mrs. Floy Brugman Parker of Little Rock. His mother Mrs. P.E. Brugman had been director hostess of the Hostess House at Camp Pike, Arkansas. He was born on December 25, 1898 in Little Rock, Arkansas and died on December 8, 1978 in Los Angeles, California. He is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
I was assigned to the machine gun company of the 109th Infantry, which is a Pennsylvania outfit. I was assigned while the outfit was in the trenches and not only took up duties of a second lieutenant but of a captain, and two first lieutenants and four second lieutenants, as I was the only officer in the company. I, therefore, have been commanding the company ever since. The job of company commander is some job, take it from me, thinking for 172 men isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially under fire. We have been back in rest for several days, but will return to the fight very shortly. I have been up to the front all day myself and just returned a short while ago. On the way out I was in quite a heavy air raid, which isn’t at all nice. If you can imagine about a dozen street cars being dropped off the top of the bank building into the street, one right after another, you can have a pretty good idea of the raid and the way people scattered in the town hunting for bomb proofs. A nice thing, this old game of war. Sherman must have been a very modest fellow, judging from the way he expresses himself on war; guess there must have been a bunch of ladies around when he thought about it and he didn’t want to go very strong.
Well, the battle is over, and it was hellfire itself. We battled with the Boche until 11 minutes after 11, and take it from me, it was one of the hottest battles I have participated in during the world’s series. We were up against the Hindenburg line from 2:30 p.m. on the 10th until 11:11 a.m. on the 11th. Outside of being gassed the last day, I pulled through without a scratch. I was standing on the field when I looked at my watch and it was 11 o’clock. I was standing where one of the heaviest artillery and machine gun barrages was falling that I ever saw. It didn’t look much like peace. I ordered my command to move up the hill. They were in the act of moving when the enemy ceased fire and our big guns ceased. Then a white flag went up out of the hills and all stopped. The Germans came out of their trenches and we went over and met them and passed out smokes, and foes became friends. Oh, what a change in the space of two minutes. I am glad I fought to the last minute.
By the way your nephew is now a first lieutenant in Uncle Sam’s army, a promotion just 30 days after being made second lieutenant. Expect to be a captain before I get back to the states.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Copeland King Brugman on October 23 and November 11. He was the nephew of Dieginson Brugman and Mrs. Floy Brugman Parker of Little Rock. His mother Mrs. P.E. Brugman had been director hostess of the Hostess House at Camp Pike, Arkansas. He was born on December 25, 1898 in Little Rock, Arkansas and died on December 8, 1978 in Los Angeles, California. He is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT