TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DEQUEEN BEE DECEMBER 21, 1918 PP. 1, 6
Base Hospital No.14, Mars, France, Nov. 16, 1918.
My Dearest Mother:
This is a beautiful autumn day. The sun is shining bright and everyone is in excellent spirits. This finds me in the hospital convalescing from a machine gun bullet wound in my left thigh, about half way between the knee and the hip. Nothing at all serious just a clean hole through the muscle without touching the bone. I have gone through some hard fighting since I wrote you the 31st and while I am propped up in bed I will try to describe in detail what I have gone through.
I joined the 89th Division on the afternoon of the 15th of October. At the time they were located on a hill about 8 kilometers behind the lines. At this position we were comparatively safe; the Germans dropped over 4 of 5 shells every night but that wasn't at all bad. The Division remained in this position until the night of the 19th when we proceeded to the front to relieve the 32nd. The 1st Bn. of the 365th went into the front lines and our Bn. went in as support. We were shelled constantly in this place until we were relieved by the 354th two days later. Our company was very fortunate up until this time, we didn't lose a man. After we were relieved we went back into the woods about 6 kilos in the rear of the line and camped until Oct. 28. On Oct. 28 we moved forward 4 kilos and took up a position on the side of a hill. While we were here a German "Whizz-bang" (Austrian 88) shell struck in a dugout occupied by two of my men. The explosion blew them at least 75 feet and scattered bones, blood and flesh in all directions. I was only ten feet from where they were sleeping. A piece of the shrapnel went through the tent occupied by my sergeant and myself. The next morning we collected the bits of flesh and got as much of them together as we could find, called the chaplain and gave them a decent burial, or as decent as possible under the circumstances.
Nothing happened then until the night of the 31st when we went forward two kilos and took up another position on the side of a very large hill. About 1 o'clock on the morning of the 1st, thousands of cannons ranging in size from the small French "75" to the big 12 inch naval guns, began to belch forth their messages of love and affection for the Kaiser. The big drive was on. At 5:30 the 353 and 354th went over the top with us following in reserve. They gained about 6 kilos the 1st day, having met with very little resistance on account of the terrific barage that they advanced behind. On the second day they went over again and gained about 5 kilos (3 miles). At 3 a.m. on the morning of the 3rd we received orders to leap the 354th. We got our things together and proceeded to the front lines. At 5 we went over. We advanced about 2 1/2 kilos without seeing a German or having a shot fired at our men. We were going down a hill in combat formation when a lone German ran into the edge of the woods about 200 yards in front of its advancing wave. His retreat was followed by a volley of shots from my men that quickly put an end to his miserable existence. At _____Companies F and G which constituted the first wave had reached their objective. We had stopped to rest when we saw about 20 Germans coming out of a building about 400 yards from where we were. Thinking that they wanted to surrender we sent out a patrol after them. When they saw the Americans coming they began to run and led the patrol into a machine gun nest. None of the patrol were injured however. We took up a position then on the side of a hill and stayed until the following morning. On Nov. 4 we went over the top again. After advancing 2 kilos we came under terrific machine gun fire and a German plane directly overhead directed a fierce barage of the enemy artillery. We went through it however, and penetrated a dense wood. When we had reached the far edge we had gone so fast we came upon the Germans marching across the field in column of squads. Every available weapon in the Bn. opened up on them. They were carrying light machine guns and they qucikly placed them and opened upon us. Her the Com. Officer of my company was wounded and I took command. At this place we captured the railroad that supplied the enemy troops in Belgium and France and thereby destroyed his line of communication. We held this position two days and then fell in Division reserve. Our Bn. had gained up to this time a total of 15 kilos. We remained in reserve until Sunday night, Nov. 10 whe we received orders to proceed to the river Meuse by a forced march to support the Marines who were to cross and advance the following morning. We moved forward to a point about 5 kilos from the river. At 9:30 p.m. Sunday the American barrage started. We know then that the Marines were crossing. After our guns had been firing about one-half hour the Germans sent over a counter barrage. It was undoubtedly the worst that I have ever experienced. Shell after shell landed in our columns killing and wounding our soldiers by the numbers. We had our orders to go forward through and there's no such thing as turn back with us. We proceeded to the river, crossed it on a pontoon bridge, all the while the Germans were harassing us with machine gun and artillery fire. After we had reached the other side we found only 80 Marines over there. The Major ordered us to take up a position along a road about 2 kilos from the bridge. I was to take up a position to the right of Co. "E." Co. "H" was directly in front of them. I left my company and went down to the right flank of "H" company looking for "F." When I had reached their right flank I asked the question. "Is this Co. "E." Some one down about 50 feet answered me saying: "Heir "E" company ist." I recognized the accent as German and I motioned for the men of "H" company to move back into the edge of the woods. I was in the act of jumping into a ditch on the right side of the road when the Germans opened up with a machine gun. One of the first few shots they fired struck me in the thigh, passing through the muscle without injuring the bone. I am in the hospital now getting along fine and will be out in a few days. It seems rather hard to be wounded on the morning of the last day but when I saw the dead upon the field as I came back to the first aid station I was quite lucky.
Mother, I have been in some awful close places since I came to the 89th. Each time with the aid of Divine help I was able to pull through. Now that it is all over I'll be coming home before many months. I have seen and been through everything connected with the war game and I am certainly glad to be able to surrender my hand. Our Division was on the lines 22 consecutive days. All this time I lived like a dog but I was glad to do it and I am tickled now that it's all over. When I get out of the hospital I will get a 30 day leave. I am going to look up “Old Lady” if I can find him.
I have had two letters from home since I came to France. All you have written have been with or lost or still in transit.
J. Pinnix Lake
Cf. Base Hospital No. 14
Officer's Ward
A.P.O. 780 France
NOTES: John Pinnix Lake was born in Lockesburg, Arkansas in Sevier County on December 15, 1894 and died on September 13, 1976. He enlisted on August 15, 1917 and was discharged on October 18, 1919. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 11, 1918 onboard the President Grant. He was serving as a First Lieut. in Co. G 156th Infantry. He departed Brest, France on August 14, 1919 onboard the Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on August 23, 1919. He was serving as a First Lieut. in Co. H 30th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Base Hospital No.14, Mars, France, Nov. 16, 1918.
My Dearest Mother:
This is a beautiful autumn day. The sun is shining bright and everyone is in excellent spirits. This finds me in the hospital convalescing from a machine gun bullet wound in my left thigh, about half way between the knee and the hip. Nothing at all serious just a clean hole through the muscle without touching the bone. I have gone through some hard fighting since I wrote you the 31st and while I am propped up in bed I will try to describe in detail what I have gone through.
I joined the 89th Division on the afternoon of the 15th of October. At the time they were located on a hill about 8 kilometers behind the lines. At this position we were comparatively safe; the Germans dropped over 4 of 5 shells every night but that wasn't at all bad. The Division remained in this position until the night of the 19th when we proceeded to the front to relieve the 32nd. The 1st Bn. of the 365th went into the front lines and our Bn. went in as support. We were shelled constantly in this place until we were relieved by the 354th two days later. Our company was very fortunate up until this time, we didn't lose a man. After we were relieved we went back into the woods about 6 kilos in the rear of the line and camped until Oct. 28. On Oct. 28 we moved forward 4 kilos and took up a position on the side of a hill. While we were here a German "Whizz-bang" (Austrian 88) shell struck in a dugout occupied by two of my men. The explosion blew them at least 75 feet and scattered bones, blood and flesh in all directions. I was only ten feet from where they were sleeping. A piece of the shrapnel went through the tent occupied by my sergeant and myself. The next morning we collected the bits of flesh and got as much of them together as we could find, called the chaplain and gave them a decent burial, or as decent as possible under the circumstances.
Nothing happened then until the night of the 31st when we went forward two kilos and took up another position on the side of a very large hill. About 1 o'clock on the morning of the 1st, thousands of cannons ranging in size from the small French "75" to the big 12 inch naval guns, began to belch forth their messages of love and affection for the Kaiser. The big drive was on. At 5:30 the 353 and 354th went over the top with us following in reserve. They gained about 6 kilos the 1st day, having met with very little resistance on account of the terrific barage that they advanced behind. On the second day they went over again and gained about 5 kilos (3 miles). At 3 a.m. on the morning of the 3rd we received orders to leap the 354th. We got our things together and proceeded to the front lines. At 5 we went over. We advanced about 2 1/2 kilos without seeing a German or having a shot fired at our men. We were going down a hill in combat formation when a lone German ran into the edge of the woods about 200 yards in front of its advancing wave. His retreat was followed by a volley of shots from my men that quickly put an end to his miserable existence. At _____Companies F and G which constituted the first wave had reached their objective. We had stopped to rest when we saw about 20 Germans coming out of a building about 400 yards from where we were. Thinking that they wanted to surrender we sent out a patrol after them. When they saw the Americans coming they began to run and led the patrol into a machine gun nest. None of the patrol were injured however. We took up a position then on the side of a hill and stayed until the following morning. On Nov. 4 we went over the top again. After advancing 2 kilos we came under terrific machine gun fire and a German plane directly overhead directed a fierce barage of the enemy artillery. We went through it however, and penetrated a dense wood. When we had reached the far edge we had gone so fast we came upon the Germans marching across the field in column of squads. Every available weapon in the Bn. opened up on them. They were carrying light machine guns and they qucikly placed them and opened upon us. Her the Com. Officer of my company was wounded and I took command. At this place we captured the railroad that supplied the enemy troops in Belgium and France and thereby destroyed his line of communication. We held this position two days and then fell in Division reserve. Our Bn. had gained up to this time a total of 15 kilos. We remained in reserve until Sunday night, Nov. 10 whe we received orders to proceed to the river Meuse by a forced march to support the Marines who were to cross and advance the following morning. We moved forward to a point about 5 kilos from the river. At 9:30 p.m. Sunday the American barrage started. We know then that the Marines were crossing. After our guns had been firing about one-half hour the Germans sent over a counter barrage. It was undoubtedly the worst that I have ever experienced. Shell after shell landed in our columns killing and wounding our soldiers by the numbers. We had our orders to go forward through and there's no such thing as turn back with us. We proceeded to the river, crossed it on a pontoon bridge, all the while the Germans were harassing us with machine gun and artillery fire. After we had reached the other side we found only 80 Marines over there. The Major ordered us to take up a position along a road about 2 kilos from the bridge. I was to take up a position to the right of Co. "E." Co. "H" was directly in front of them. I left my company and went down to the right flank of "H" company looking for "F." When I had reached their right flank I asked the question. "Is this Co. "E." Some one down about 50 feet answered me saying: "Heir "E" company ist." I recognized the accent as German and I motioned for the men of "H" company to move back into the edge of the woods. I was in the act of jumping into a ditch on the right side of the road when the Germans opened up with a machine gun. One of the first few shots they fired struck me in the thigh, passing through the muscle without injuring the bone. I am in the hospital now getting along fine and will be out in a few days. It seems rather hard to be wounded on the morning of the last day but when I saw the dead upon the field as I came back to the first aid station I was quite lucky.
Mother, I have been in some awful close places since I came to the 89th. Each time with the aid of Divine help I was able to pull through. Now that it is all over I'll be coming home before many months. I have seen and been through everything connected with the war game and I am certainly glad to be able to surrender my hand. Our Division was on the lines 22 consecutive days. All this time I lived like a dog but I was glad to do it and I am tickled now that it's all over. When I get out of the hospital I will get a 30 day leave. I am going to look up “Old Lady” if I can find him.
I have had two letters from home since I came to France. All you have written have been with or lost or still in transit.
J. Pinnix Lake
Cf. Base Hospital No. 14
Officer's Ward
A.P.O. 780 France
NOTES: John Pinnix Lake was born in Lockesburg, Arkansas in Sevier County on December 15, 1894 and died on September 13, 1976. He enlisted on August 15, 1917 and was discharged on October 18, 1919. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 11, 1918 onboard the President Grant. He was serving as a First Lieut. in Co. G 156th Infantry. He departed Brest, France on August 14, 1919 onboard the Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on August 23, 1919. He was serving as a First Lieut. in Co. H 30th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD