Somewhere in France
Sept 14, 1918
Dear Folks,
I thought I would write you a few lines and let you know that I am still alive. Well how is everybody around there? Haven’t heard from you for a long time have been looking for mail every day, but always failed to get some. It has been raining every day now for the last week. It is nice and clear today.
I have been at the lines several times and came back safely every time. We are all at the lines now (that is our company) and have been for the last week. Every thing is quiet now, Fritzie sends over a few big shells every day, and we send over a big bunch of shells for him. We get so used to the shooting we do not mind it at all any more.
We have dug-outs we live in at the lines about 25 or 30 feet under ground. We rest in the day time and move at night, for the reason so that the enemy does not see us coming up to the lines and the same when we go out. This is great life the country is still full of soldiers in woods, towns and back of the lines.
We always have plenty to eat, we haven’t seen any paper for a long time. If you have a good magazine or paper send it along for we like to have some good stories to read. We have quite a little time to read when we are in the trenches.
Everything is very badly ruined, the towns are smashed to pieces. In some parts it is hard to tell if there were any towns at all for there is nothing but a few bricks and corner stones laying around. Every thing is knocked down even the land has been turned over about a dozen times by the big shells.
This country is all hills and hollows there isn’t much level land at all. There is not much grain raised here it is so awful stony all this lime stone. The grain does not grow up very big.
I suppose you have all the threashing (sic) done by now. I imagine help is awful scarce around there, are they still taking boys from there?
How does the car work? Tell George to write and tell me all about it. Well I guess this is for this time (sic) with best of luck and write real soon.
With love, John
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