TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS GAZETTE OCTOBER 13, 1918 P. 5
Some gentleman by the name of Sherman once said that "War is hell" and I must say that Mr. Sherman showed a rare bit of wisdom. War is hell and the Germans will vouch for that. they started this little scrap and now they wish it had never begun. For a while it looked good for these heathens, but the civilized world woke up soon and the boche have caught hell ever since.
The French and British have been taking time slaughting them and a few days ago the good old U.S.A. boys took the lead. And even a blind man could have guessed who was attacking. The week before the drive started was terrible. Rain every day and mud everywhere. Most countries had so much rather have good weather that they will wait for it but that was not the case with the Americans. During all this rain and right through the mud they came, and when the first sign of good weather showed up they started toward Germany. They were there to take that kink out of the line at St. Mihiel, and just 27 hours after they started the kink was out and the city belonged again to France. That is American method.
We boys of the air have enjoyed the situation some outselves. Every few hours we run over and wipe some little town off the map and sometimes we knock over a Hun or two. Of course we don't do all the fighting for even a boche will fight if he is hemmed in a corner and we have lost a few, but our losses have not been large compared to Germany’s.
Hun scraping is far more exciting than baseball, even with the bases full in the ninth.
Sometimes they don't show any fight, but the sight of them puts a tingle in your veins. I came to France last November and waited a long time for my turn but now I am in it and it's a great game. I fully expect to see the finish before the fall of 1919.
NOTES: Lieutenant Arthur Clyde Ellis was writing to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dee L Ellis. He was born on August 14, 1893 in Decatur, Texas. He was described as being short and of medium build with brown eyes and hair. He was living with his parents in Camden, Arkansas in 1900 and 1910.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Some gentleman by the name of Sherman once said that "War is hell" and I must say that Mr. Sherman showed a rare bit of wisdom. War is hell and the Germans will vouch for that. they started this little scrap and now they wish it had never begun. For a while it looked good for these heathens, but the civilized world woke up soon and the boche have caught hell ever since.
The French and British have been taking time slaughting them and a few days ago the good old U.S.A. boys took the lead. And even a blind man could have guessed who was attacking. The week before the drive started was terrible. Rain every day and mud everywhere. Most countries had so much rather have good weather that they will wait for it but that was not the case with the Americans. During all this rain and right through the mud they came, and when the first sign of good weather showed up they started toward Germany. They were there to take that kink out of the line at St. Mihiel, and just 27 hours after they started the kink was out and the city belonged again to France. That is American method.
We boys of the air have enjoyed the situation some outselves. Every few hours we run over and wipe some little town off the map and sometimes we knock over a Hun or two. Of course we don't do all the fighting for even a boche will fight if he is hemmed in a corner and we have lost a few, but our losses have not been large compared to Germany’s.
Hun scraping is far more exciting than baseball, even with the bases full in the ninth.
Sometimes they don't show any fight, but the sight of them puts a tingle in your veins. I came to France last November and waited a long time for my turn but now I am in it and it's a great game. I fully expect to see the finish before the fall of 1919.
NOTES: Lieutenant Arthur Clyde Ellis was writing to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dee L Ellis. He was born on August 14, 1893 in Decatur, Texas. He was described as being short and of medium build with brown eyes and hair. He was living with his parents in Camden, Arkansas in 1900 and 1910.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT