Notes

Oct. 1, 1918.
My dear Ma & Pa:-

I have been in the trenches again and I am one of the very few who is still alive and haven't a scratch on me. My regiment the 106th Infantry is wiped out. How I ever got out alive is more than I can tell. My Seargent, my corporal, my squad all got it but me, even my Lieutenant was wounded three times. The boys of the line companys got to their objective which was the Hindenburg Line, held it and the few that was left smashed the Hindenburg Line the next morning and kept going on.

By the way, I sent you a cablegram saying I was O.K. right after I got out of the biggest fight I ever was in.

I will try to tell you the best way I can about the drive we made. The morning of the zero hour was all planned out. About twenty minutes before the barrage opened up we were brought out into "No Man's Land" about two hundred yards in front of our first line. Well we got out there alright and we got into a little shell hole for cover on account of the flying shrapnel. All at once every gun in back of us opens up fire all the shells landing right in front of us. With that jerry German opens up his artillery. He landed all his shells right on our front line. So there we were in this little shell hole with our shells landing in front of us and Jerry's in back of us. The shells were so close at times that they had us buried with dirt. Just then one of the fellows looks back and sees one of our tanks coming up. So we jumped up and dived into another shell so we wouldn't get run over by the tank. We had quite a few tanks with us and armored cars went along the roads. The Corporal sticks his head up and gets hit with shrapnel so we bandaged him up a bit and leave him there in the shell hole. So we start out for Jerry's front line keeping after our artillery barrage. Well we get up there alright and killed all the Germans we seen. Most of them put up their hands and hollered Kamrad. When your back was turned they would let loose with a machine gun. So it was a case of kill them before they get you. When we got to our objective we find that the tank that had our ammunition was put out of action by an Artillery shell so we came back to our old front line to get some more shells for our gun but the Major there wouldn't let us go back because everybody going up there was killed by machine gun fire. So our Lieutenant went up to our advanced position and never came back. I just heard now my Seargent was dead. The Infantry company that I went over the top with came back with four men and the first Seargent. We were relieved that night and I got safely behind the lines.

I am feeling fine and in the best of health hoping you all are the same. Give my best regards to all the children and Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Davidson