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"Over There For Uncle Sam"

Chapter 20

November 21, 1918

We leave La Houssoye at 12:45 noon and hike to Corble, where we load on a box-car train and start for the American area. There is 33 men in our car. Before leaving Corbie we succeed in getting some straw to go into our car, so that makes traveling more comfortable. Mid-night finds us still going. Though the engine looked like a joke it makes fast time.

November 22, 1918

Chapter 19

October 21, 1918

The company rolls full pack and leaves camp at 8:30 a. m. on the march. We pass through Bohain and Brancourt, stopping for the night at Montebrain. Here a Y. M. C. A. canteen is open, but only writing paper, magazines, and a few old papers can be secured from it, as they have sold out all the smokes and eats. We are billeted in some old buildings that have missed total destruction from the German shells. We are tired out from the long march and we go to bed immediately after supper. 

October 22, 1918

Chapter 13

September 1, 1918

Immediately after breakfast we roll our packs and set them outside of our billets and begin cleaning them out (the billets). We move our cots out and give the floor a good sweeping and take all trash and other waste to a hole and burn it. We wait all day with rolled packs, but we fail to get moving orders as were expected. Late in the afternoon we carry our cots back into the billets and unroll our packs, as we will have to use the blankets at night.

September 2, 1918

Chapter 11

August 5, 1918

I work on the kitchen police all day washing dirty pots and bringing water from the water cart that is about 100 yards away for cooking and washing purposes. We have a physical examination at 7:30 p. m., and every man is supposed to be present. It does not take us long to finish washing pots after supper.

August 6, 1918