TRANSCRIBED FROM THE CLARK COUNTY COURIER MARCH 7, 1919 P. 3
Dear Mother:
This leaves me well and hope you are all the same. Since I have been in France and heard the sound of the shells as they burst around me; and since in charges on machine gun nests I have seen scores of my comrades fall to never rise again, I see the world through new eyes. I have been in three hand-to-hand bayonet fights with the Boches and saw some feats of fighting and cold nerve that I would not have believed had I been told about it back home. You can tell the world—but they know it now—that the American soldiers are not cowards—ask Fritz, and he will throw up his hands and yell, “Kamerad!”
The Argonne forest was terrible and all fought like demons.
We went into the front trenches on the 25th of last May and on the 28th went over the top at Cantigny and I got shot through the wrist. After leaving the hospital I rejoined my regiment in time to go over the top in St. Mihiel sector. The next engagement was in the Argonne Forest. Was gassed slightly in that five days battle but had to see it through. ____till Nov. 11th, we were ____this time.
Love,
Jos. Lex
____ ____ Inft., A.E.F.
NOTES: Joseph Conrad Lex was born on February 26, 1900 in Lamar County, Texas and died on January 29, 1955 at Corning, Arkansas. He is buried in the Corning Cemetery in Corning, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Pvt. in Trp. D of the 16th Cavalry. (Photo available at the Museum of American History/Cabot Public Schools)
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Dear Mother:
This leaves me well and hope you are all the same. Since I have been in France and heard the sound of the shells as they burst around me; and since in charges on machine gun nests I have seen scores of my comrades fall to never rise again, I see the world through new eyes. I have been in three hand-to-hand bayonet fights with the Boches and saw some feats of fighting and cold nerve that I would not have believed had I been told about it back home. You can tell the world—but they know it now—that the American soldiers are not cowards—ask Fritz, and he will throw up his hands and yell, “Kamerad!”
The Argonne forest was terrible and all fought like demons.
We went into the front trenches on the 25th of last May and on the 28th went over the top at Cantigny and I got shot through the wrist. After leaving the hospital I rejoined my regiment in time to go over the top in St. Mihiel sector. The next engagement was in the Argonne Forest. Was gassed slightly in that five days battle but had to see it through. ____till Nov. 11th, we were ____this time.
Love,
Jos. Lex
____ ____ Inft., A.E.F.
NOTES: Joseph Conrad Lex was born on February 26, 1900 in Lamar County, Texas and died on January 29, 1955 at Corning, Arkansas. He is buried in the Corning Cemetery in Corning, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Pvt. in Trp. D of the 16th Cavalry. (Photo available at the Museum of American History/Cabot Public Schools)
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON