Dear Folks and Kids:
Received your letters of February 2, 8, and 16. Thanks for the bill and check. It sure comes in very handy as we haven't been paid for two months and I might possibly get a furlough in about a month. That is if the
Boche don’t gain too much and in that case we will have to go back to the trenches probably. You probably know by now that we spent some time in them and I am sory to say that Hank Fall was killed.
Of course there were a few others killed and quite a few wounded, but I don't believe you know them. It was a false report that Percy Breese was wounded.
Captains Ross and Casey, Owen Hawkins and Hoke received the Croix de Guerrie for distinguished service. The captain left yesterday as acting major of the 1st battalion and Lieutenant Ericsson
is in command now.
I forgot to say I spent my birthday at the front. I received two boxes with underwear, gloves, sox and candy and they sure were fine. As yet I have not received your cablegram of $10 and as near as I can check up
on your letters two of them with $5 in each are missing yet. Thank grandma for her money order too. If I ever get the time I will write her.
At present we are in a small town back of the lines and if we could live this way all the time it would be great. Phil Brooks, Joe Cardio, Carl Clement and I have rented a room here and we have two large
feather beds and nice stove, table, chairs, a very good room and this was our supper: French fried potatoes, three fried eggs, steak, hot chocolate and bread and butter. Of course we are in a very good part of Lorraine,
a clean little village, and with what money you have you can get about what you want.
I see in the Red Oak paper about all the drafted fellows, all the service flags and the like, but nothing about Co. M.
Tell "Runt" Woods, Mac and all the other fellows hello (let them read this if you wish). Tell them that Ben Morris and I expect to take our vacations together.
How is Max Brown, Russ Schaeffer and Russell Loomis? I saw their advertisement of the "Big County Fair" and I bet that was great if it was anything like the ones we used to have.
I expect the Ford and Studebaker are in good condition now that I am not there to break them up and keep the tires worn out. When I get back I sure am going to drive them though because I have been walking too much lately.
I went to a French picture show the other night with Ben Morris. It was fairly good if it was a French picture.
Lately, and I imagine it will be this way from now on, the weather has been great. Plenty of sunshine you know, but I thought for a while last winter somebody had lied about this being a "Sunny France". Don't send any more
underwear, or sugar, for a while because I have plenty now and it's hard to carry very much extra. The gloves and sox were the best yet, but I have enough for now, I think and the candy was great. I took some to the trenches and
it sure was the stuff for there because it was hard to feed us and very little at that.
Here is Orville Fife's opinion of "no man's land" after our visit there:
"Those still, bare trunks stand somber,
Alone in the pale moonlight,
And there's nothing more silent or lonely or still
Than "no man's land" at night.
Oh! Those tall, white trees have a story,
And if their tale they'd tell,
T’would be of horor, bloodshed and sorrow,
Of shrapnel and bursting shell."
Pretty good, isn’t it, and true too.
We have a long hike ahead of us now and then a rest, so if nothing happens we won’t be in the trenches again for about six weeks.
Of course we can't get much war dope here but they think Germany is preparing for their last big Spring drive, which will determine the war. I hope so as I have had all the sightseeing I want.
I get the Saturday Evening Post alright, but the papers fail to arrive except a few old ones. But they get bunches of them for the company, so I get to read them that way.
I will try to send you a box tomorrow and I'll write more often.
Love to all, your son,
Oliver
~ Transcribed by Montgomery county's Wonderful "Anonymous" Supporter ~
