TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NASHVILLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 21, 1918 P. 2
I am now in a very nice place, about the best I have been in in France—one of the large base hospitals, in a very quaint and peaceful part of this country. I have a real bed to sleep on and it has sure enough white sheets. We have the best of food, and all the doctors, nurses and attendants do everything possible for the patients.
Why am I here? Well, you see, I got mixed up with a ‘Boche’ shell, several of them, in fact, and I got hit on the left shin. It was just a small wound, tho, but I got a pretty bad case of shell shock. This was on July 31. I was pretty nervous for a week, but am almost well now and ready to go back. Oh; but that sure was some fight! We, all Americans whipped those damn Huns every time they would fight. We chased them until our own tongues were almost out. They tried all their devilish tricks on us, but could not get by with them. We know now that the Hun is nothing to fear. He is yellow, and too low to let live. He will absolutely not fight hand to hand, and of all our wounded, I have not heard of a single man being hurt by a boche bayonet. It was all machine guns and artillery that we ran into, but we gained our objective anyway. Of course, we lost men, but I tell you truthfully we killed at least three or four to our own. My regiment had Prussian Guards in front of us, and they are Germany’s best, but they are yellow too. They say the Americans are ‘Devil Dogs,’ and they hate us, but there is no love lost.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Lieut Grady H. Forgy of Mena. He was born and raised in Howard County and is the nephew of Asa J. Forgy of Dierks. He wrote this letter to a friend. Grady Henry Forgy was born on October 31, 1895, Galena, Howard County, Arkansas and died on October 1 1971 at Little Rock, Arkansas. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park in Alexander, Arkansas. His WWI draft registration from Polk County, Arkansas lists him as a student at the USTC, Fort Logan Roots, Arkansas. He was described as being of medium height and weight with blue eyes and light hair. a 1925 military reports him as a Major in the 153rd Infantry, Hdq. 2 Camp Pike, National Guard. This letter also appeared in the Mena Weekly Star on September 12, 1918, P. 1.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
I am now in a very nice place, about the best I have been in in France—one of the large base hospitals, in a very quaint and peaceful part of this country. I have a real bed to sleep on and it has sure enough white sheets. We have the best of food, and all the doctors, nurses and attendants do everything possible for the patients.
Why am I here? Well, you see, I got mixed up with a ‘Boche’ shell, several of them, in fact, and I got hit on the left shin. It was just a small wound, tho, but I got a pretty bad case of shell shock. This was on July 31. I was pretty nervous for a week, but am almost well now and ready to go back. Oh; but that sure was some fight! We, all Americans whipped those damn Huns every time they would fight. We chased them until our own tongues were almost out. They tried all their devilish tricks on us, but could not get by with them. We know now that the Hun is nothing to fear. He is yellow, and too low to let live. He will absolutely not fight hand to hand, and of all our wounded, I have not heard of a single man being hurt by a boche bayonet. It was all machine guns and artillery that we ran into, but we gained our objective anyway. Of course, we lost men, but I tell you truthfully we killed at least three or four to our own. My regiment had Prussian Guards in front of us, and they are Germany’s best, but they are yellow too. They say the Americans are ‘Devil Dogs,’ and they hate us, but there is no love lost.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Lieut Grady H. Forgy of Mena. He was born and raised in Howard County and is the nephew of Asa J. Forgy of Dierks. He wrote this letter to a friend. Grady Henry Forgy was born on October 31, 1895, Galena, Howard County, Arkansas and died on October 1 1971 at Little Rock, Arkansas. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park in Alexander, Arkansas. His WWI draft registration from Polk County, Arkansas lists him as a student at the USTC, Fort Logan Roots, Arkansas. He was described as being of medium height and weight with blue eyes and light hair. a 1925 military reports him as a Major in the 153rd Infantry, Hdq. 2 Camp Pike, National Guard. This letter also appeared in the Mena Weekly Star on September 12, 1918, P. 1.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON