TRANSCRIBED FROM THE CLAY COUNTY COURIER MARCH 21, 1919 P. 4
Valludar, Germany, 2-17-19
Dr. C.C. Cope, Dear Friend:
I will write you a few lines to let you know that I am alive, but do not know how long I will be, as the influenza is getting a great many.
I have got to see all the boys from home. There are five of us here. The other day Luther Jackson, Jess Pickler, Len Ponds and myself got together and had a good time. Jim Stephens was up to see us a few days ago---we can visit each other almost any time.
I see some of the boys have got home. They cannot tell you anything about real war. Wait until the bunch that have gone through it all get back---they can tell you the real stuff. Jess Pickler can tell you about aviation, Luther Jackson about the supply dept., Len Ponds the truck train, Jim Stephens the marines, and myself, the machine guns.
I was in five of the hardest battles fought by the A.E.F. I was at Chateau Thierry. We sure did do some hard fighting. That was where the marines got their renown. We fought there for 26 days. I saw one battalion (1000 men) go in on the evening of June 6th and only a very few came back. The company I am in only has 174 in it now as during the fighting we lost about one-half our men. Can you picture yourself as being in shell holes 26 days fighting on ____meal every 24 hours and ______but once---at 12 o’clock at _____. And if you wanted to _____
life all you had to do was stick your head up so it could be seen. You had to lie down _____
daylight until dark and put your gas mask on _____ four hours a day. ___________ our chow would get ______ ______ we would be out of _____ for 48 hours. Anyway they lost five divisions to our one in that little fight.
We went from there to Soissons where we put the fear of God (and the Yanks) in the hearts of the Huns. We attacked them the day before they had planned for a big drive against us. We beat ‘em to it, but found plenty of Huns to kill and capture. The regiment I am in (23d Inf.) captured three men for every m_____ it. We were there three day before we got relieved. When we started out a shell fell in our company and killed 24. I was wounded and stayed in the hospital a month, but got back in time to help make the big drive in the St. Mihiel sector. It was a walkover and we lost but few men.
We captured a town named Theicourt that had been in possession of the Huns for four years. You would have laughed to see the French girls kiss us as we passed through. We were told some awful tales of the Huns’ actions that I cannot write about, but will tell you when I come home.
From here we went with the French 4th army to the Chamgagne front. There we sure did some fighting. It was certainly the worst looking battlefield I saw during the war. We drove them back, but they fought hard. Lots of them stayed with their machine guns and artillery until killed. The French did some fine fighting and were very brave.
From there we ____ to the Argonne Forest. There we found the famous 42nd Rainbow Division. They were ______ and fighting________ not advance
(SEVERAL MISSING LINES)
meter is 5 8th of a mile, but they still owe us $5.00.
We fought there for several days and had them going fine when the armistice was signed. On the morning of the 11th we heard it but could not believe
(SEVERAL MISSING LINES)
____friend,
Byron Redwine
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY DEBRA POLSTON
Valludar, Germany, 2-17-19
Dr. C.C. Cope, Dear Friend:
I will write you a few lines to let you know that I am alive, but do not know how long I will be, as the influenza is getting a great many.
I have got to see all the boys from home. There are five of us here. The other day Luther Jackson, Jess Pickler, Len Ponds and myself got together and had a good time. Jim Stephens was up to see us a few days ago---we can visit each other almost any time.
I see some of the boys have got home. They cannot tell you anything about real war. Wait until the bunch that have gone through it all get back---they can tell you the real stuff. Jess Pickler can tell you about aviation, Luther Jackson about the supply dept., Len Ponds the truck train, Jim Stephens the marines, and myself, the machine guns.
I was in five of the hardest battles fought by the A.E.F. I was at Chateau Thierry. We sure did do some hard fighting. That was where the marines got their renown. We fought there for 26 days. I saw one battalion (1000 men) go in on the evening of June 6th and only a very few came back. The company I am in only has 174 in it now as during the fighting we lost about one-half our men. Can you picture yourself as being in shell holes 26 days fighting on ____meal every 24 hours and ______but once---at 12 o’clock at _____. And if you wanted to _____
life all you had to do was stick your head up so it could be seen. You had to lie down _____
daylight until dark and put your gas mask on _____ four hours a day. ___________ our chow would get ______ ______ we would be out of _____ for 48 hours. Anyway they lost five divisions to our one in that little fight.
We went from there to Soissons where we put the fear of God (and the Yanks) in the hearts of the Huns. We attacked them the day before they had planned for a big drive against us. We beat ‘em to it, but found plenty of Huns to kill and capture. The regiment I am in (23d Inf.) captured three men for every m_____ it. We were there three day before we got relieved. When we started out a shell fell in our company and killed 24. I was wounded and stayed in the hospital a month, but got back in time to help make the big drive in the St. Mihiel sector. It was a walkover and we lost but few men.
We captured a town named Theicourt that had been in possession of the Huns for four years. You would have laughed to see the French girls kiss us as we passed through. We were told some awful tales of the Huns’ actions that I cannot write about, but will tell you when I come home.
From here we went with the French 4th army to the Chamgagne front. There we sure did some fighting. It was certainly the worst looking battlefield I saw during the war. We drove them back, but they fought hard. Lots of them stayed with their machine guns and artillery until killed. The French did some fine fighting and were very brave.
From there we ____ to the Argonne Forest. There we found the famous 42nd Rainbow Division. They were ______ and fighting________ not advance
(SEVERAL MISSING LINES)
meter is 5 8th of a mile, but they still owe us $5.00.
We fought there for several days and had them going fine when the armistice was signed. On the morning of the 11th we heard it but could not believe
(SEVERAL MISSING LINES)
____friend,
Byron Redwine
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY DEBRA POLSTON