Letter to Mother
8-25-17
5.45 P.M.
Dear Mother:–
I am siting a few hundred yds from no mans land, enjoying the real joy of living as much here as I could any where in the world, we have all we can eat and I have had enough to drink all but one day and I gave half my bottle of water to a wounded hiney boy who was lying a few yds from my post, after an advance, he was between 18 and 20 I think and fair a nice boy. All he could say to me was Comerade “Camerade” and hospital, they took him to the hospital after our boys were taken first.
I can’t here, discribe how I felt on seeing him, I heard him first but our boys use hineys just as our own and that helps me so much. I was scared maby this boy would not be taken care of, for I had no way of knowing before realy the conditions, Our boys that get taken prisoner do not need to be scared of being miss used for I think things are all to gether different than they were at out break of war,
The shell fire does not bother me to speak of at all, I was under it first thing for 24 hours straight, then once 12 hours, One man estimates that the hiney shell fire was 600 shells per hour for 12 hours, well, I won’t say what I think, but at any rate, I beleave we average 10 going over to every 1 comes back, all the boys feel that way, I have not been tired yet and I can sleep in any old kind of a bombardment. we sleep as many hours as we like during the day.
The weather is dry and fine we only have have had a sprinkle lately, so it has been great.
26th 6.00 P.M.
Sitting in the same place as last night and feeling fine The Sergeant said this A.M. that I sleep more than any man on the job, well I can’t see why I should loose any sleep over a few barages and bombardments and etc. The shells make me travel some between stoping places some times but that is all. This life an’t as hard work as I worked the last fall I was home, in harvest time you remember when cutting, I was played out, Well here there is only one thing that could make a man worry and that is a guilty concience for, I have felt well a shell will cash use in, the next one that comes, and I never worried nor was a bit scared at it, but a surprised explosion will make me jump and etc, but that happens at home. Mother death is a simple thing when you think of it men pass out with out a scratch here from concussion and I have had that when half a sleep seem as tho it squeezed me out a little flatter and in ten minutes I would be sleeping again, A lot of the boys don’t agree with the way I feel out here so don’t be surprised if you get different reports from other boys it is hard on the two Bobs, McKeith especially and Banks is better when he is working but he hates to sit around still, You see that is when it gets them when there is nothing to do but think, I never have prayed for my safe return yet Mother and all I want is to feel this nearness of God that I do, that prepares me to live and die tonight or this hour with out a regret knowing that you and I would meet on that bright and shining shore.
We get our mail every day here the same as in rest billets, I got two letters from you this A.M. the one that was written at the L.A. and yours, Mother just pray for Grace to strengthen your faith it will comfort you so much when you feel uneasy just offer a word of prayer and things will clear just like a sheet being drawn back
I had a shower of dirt blown over me several times this P.M. by shells that made holes nine ft across and I was no more scared than I am sitting here now. Well infact I was in no more danger te. he. This old war will seace one of these times the current has about turned, do you get what I mean, I guess so, Well bye bye Mother dear
as ever your loving son Laurie
[fills the rest of the sheet] I wrote a card to you after dark the other night so I guess you would think it was poor writing all right.
I had a ride for about four miles in a wagon last night, it was lots of fun. I am sending some hiney souvenirs in a cupple of days. I havent undressed over six times in France and I have gone 8 day with out my shoes or skelliten equipment and gass masks off why we get so used to the equipment that we never think of it any more.
I have only had an hour and a half of carrying ammunition that has been as hard as I thot all the army life would be, out side of the day, I mentioned when I first hit France. from now on remember that that day is excepted of a hard days work if I don’t mention when saying any thing, Burns and I are out of the line as fresh as we went in, and why because we are ready to meet our saviour, and can dodge a shell like we would a snow ball, on the run with a smile on our face,
There is no more danger for any one man on the battle field than any where else, but in a bulk more men are called to death there at one time than any where else maby, but they are all called by God in there different ways at different ages, The only thing I can compare the battle field to is, mounting a bronco if you have your nerve under control you can walk out and never think but if you loose your nerve why you are only going to be hard on others and no use, and can’t help your self right, why it is the best place in the world to get afraid of any thing you might let it scare you to death when you could have stayed with the game for a cupple of years