302ND SUPPLY TRAIN

302nd Supply Train, Co. A

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Walter Henry Long Bio, 4/17/2018

Walter Henry Long was born January 20, 1893 in Collina, New Brunswick, Canada. The exact date Walter arrived in the United States is unknown but one Document states August 1913 as the first date Walter entered the country. .

Walter Received a document from the state of Connecticut Legislature approved February 7th 1917 stating he is being called upon to answer a number of questions. Walter answered said questions on February 25, 1917 in the presence of the Military Census Agent. Walter was living in Naugatuck Connecticut at this time and was 24 years old and single. Walter worked as a mill hand and previously as a glass glazer. As of this time Walter was still a Canadian citizen and had served four weeks in the Canadian military in the Calvary as a private.

Walter reached the rank of corporal while in the A.E.F. while serving in the 77th division, the Liberty Division, CO. A.102nd Supply train as an ammunition truck driver. Walter was awarded the WWI medal by the State of Connecticut, a decoration by the Borough of Naugatuck for his service, a campaign medal for the OISE-AISNE, MEUSE-ARGONNE DEFESIVE SECTORE, and medal from the city of South Portland Maine for patriotic service

Walter Married Isabelle King, born September 5th, 1899, at So. Portland Maine, June 4th, 1919. Walter and Isabel had two children, Evelyn and George.

Walter received his certificate of Naturalization on May 17th, 1927

Walter had to fill out a WWII draft card in 1942 even though he was 49 at the time. All men born between April 28th, 1877 and February 16, 1897 were required to register. Walter worked at the Naugatuck Lumber Company at the time. Walter was appointed the temporary building inspector and zoning official for the Town of Middlebury, Connecticut for two years, 1963-1965 until a permanent official was appointed.

Walter moved his family, Isabelle and the two children from Naugatuck to Middlebury Connecticut on July 5th 1930 to live in an old garage with a lean-to attached while he built a new home on a half-acre of old farm land in Middlebury, Connecticut. The house remains occupied by a member of the Long family to this day.

Walter enjoyed wood working, his vegetable garden, and visiting family both in the States and Canada when he could. Walter was a member of VFW post 1946 in Naugatuck, Connecticut including serving as a post commander in 1942.

After Isabelle Passed away on February 4th, 1968 Walters Grandchildren remember Walter stopping by their home with a pizza and spending time with them and showing them how to play the card game kings in the corner. Walter, as remembered by his grandchildren was a very kind man. Walter did remarry on August 7th 1971 to Ethel Waterhouse before passing away on November 12th 1977 at the age of 84.

Walter Longs WWI diary

22nd Co. 6th Bn.

---Depot Brigade

Camp Devens, Mass.

Co. F. 308 Infantry

Camp Upton

Long Island, NY

Co. A. 302

Supply Train

Camp Upton

Long Island, NY

Co. A 302

Supply Train

Camp Holabird

Baltimore, Maryland

Diary of instances that has happened and places I been since Feb. 10, 1918.

Feb 10 got notice to appear for physical examination at Naugatuck Connecticut.

On Feb 14 Started for Naugatuck

On Feb 15 appeared for examination and passed and went to New Haven that night

On Feb 16 left town for Portland Maine

On Feb 25 got notice to report for duty Feb. 27 at Naugatuck but later got word I could entrain train from Portland Maine.

On Feb 27 at 6:05 AM left the house for train station and left there at 7:00 sharp for Camp Devens. Mass. Went by way of Rockingham, Jenrteir, and Epping, Was in the 1b1 Depot Brigade 16 Battalion.

On March 16 was transferred to the 308 Infantry. CO. F Camp Upton, L.I.

On March 19 was transferred to the 302 supply train Co. A

On March 27 left for Baltimore, Maryland to get trucks for overseas. Landed there at 8:46 am on the 28 we camped in the trucks and ate out of doors till April 4th.

On April 4th at 12:15 pm we left for New York. We drove till 6PM. and stopped till the next morning.

On April 5th 10:15 am we started on our way again. And then we went to Havre-De-Grace and was there for on ____ and half was treated with sandwiches and coffee the we drove for about three miles and stopped beside the road and ate some sandwiches we had with us from there. We landed in Newark, Delaware and stopped in a restaurant and had a lunch furnished by the Red Cross. Then m

We moved on and we came to Wilmington, Delaware and we were served with supper by a rich lady in the hotel DuPont and were taken to the YMCA for a shower bath and to sleep. On the following Day we started at 10:15 and we landed in Philadelphia about 1:15PM. Went through the street during a liberty loan parade and had a time. Landed in Trenten New Jersey and stopped for the night. Left thereabout 9:30 am on the following day which was Sunday and drove to Newark, NJ and was invited out to supper and won used fine. Left there about 8:30 the following day and came to New York stayed there overnight and returned to Camp Upton the next day.

On April 21 left Camp Upton for New Jersey, was loaded on the transport about 10:30 of that day.

On April 23 sailed and has been a lovely trip was sunny up till the present time which is the 26th.

History of Co. A 302 Supply Train

We were born or rather came into existence the 13th day of September 1917. Like the history of the World our early record may seem somewhat obscure because the original Co. of 23 enlisted men undergoing the process of transfers discharges and an influx of new material from the Memorial Day to the present. Still the ravages of time have left us several members of the original “ Skidos” among these the chronicles might name such well known titles as Sgt. 1st class Gigante and Sgt. Jenson. LT.Cillin certainly faced a mostly crew of civilians at first formations and all the early fame and record of this command is largely due to the untiring of this officer.

Camp Upton soon threw its mantle of work around our shoulders. We revealed in joys of stumps fatigue, drills, physical exercise, chow, and the ever present KP. The ribbon county duck soon learned to peal spuds and the illiterate members of the section gang learned the alphabet of the way of the wig wag and semaphore

The days were busy ones and the fall ran along into winter before we realized how the time was flying. Passes were in order at Christmas. Home surly did look good to the boys after those long weeks of army grub and the in grown desire to see that one particular girl once more before you had the chance to compare her with the famed mademoiselle. It might be well to add that for some this afforded a grand chance to display that uniform and that magnificent development of chest measurement for which the army is justly famous.

January brought us a new commanding officer. LT.Cullen was relieved from duty with Co. A and LT. Gill was placed in command of the Co. which had now over fifty men on its roster.

Why weary you with the countless details of the those weeks of training? Such entry’s as there appeared in the Co. log for the six months following. The CO in command of LT.Gill (or 1st LT.) received instructions in the school of the soldiers from 8 to 9 A.M. manual of guard from 9 to 10:30 A.M. manual of arms from 10:30 to 11:30 A.M. School of the soldier from 1 to 2 P.M. Manual of guard duty from 2 to 3 P.M. Signal drill from 3 to 4:30 P.M. Those were what are known as full days interesting ones as well and through some hate to admit it.

In March dame rumors the Army curse became active, dangerously active for the first time. The muttered strange things concerning a move and if we had moved every time or place she designated we would still be moving hither and in the good old U.S.A. however, we did move on March 26th 1918. We entrained. Some said we were going to France others had such spots as Phelam Bay? And Camp Handcock in view but the government must have disagreed for we finally got off the train Colgate Creek, Camp Holabird M.D.

Here we spent eight days of real life for it was here we met our new lover – the Packard Cargo Trucks. A driver and an assistant were assigned to each truck. Mechanics and truck masters like mushrooms sprang into being overnight. We became a full-fledged truck Co.

On Friday April 6th Co. A cranked up its thirty two trucks and two dodge livery cars and started out on its first trip the run to New York City. It was some detail for it must be admitted that some of our drivers were somewhat green at the game and the trucks in _____________ acted very much like bucking broncos. Every new ____ gas hound held his breath and did his best, that is the reason our commanding finished the trip with A Co. Which had the record of the whole train. It surly was some trip of four days a moving panorama of real country with a city, town, or village thrown in for good measure. In many towns we were enthusiastically received. It was a continual reception. How our poor stomachs stood the strain of that free lunch counter dressed up with pies and cakes, fruit, etc. is a mystery.

Ladies and gentlemen of every city, town, and hamlet from Baltimore to New York we thank you, we were treated most royally. On our arrival in N.Y. we parked our trucks on pier No. 86 where we bid them a fond farewell the next morning.

The next sight we were to have of them was to be so far away in that land they have miss named Sunny France. Much to our disgust we entrained once more on one of those infamous Long Island Railroad Trains. Camp Upton received us again. Eight more men were assigned to our command making out total strength of 77 men. Drilling commenced again and for the next nineteen days we swore and sweated on the parade ground.

The new men were the worst specimens we had received up to this date and their efforts at drill are still the cause of many out bursts of army language.

April 22nd turned out to be the long looked for day. We filled in at 4:00 A.M. marched to the station and entrained. On our arrival in N.Y. City we stepped on board the 34 street ferry went down the east river, around lower Manhattan up the Hudson to the Hamburg America line pier, where we first laid eyes on the famous U.S.S. Leviathan formally the renowned Vaterland. All that day and the next we were shut up in the interior of this great boat. On the morn of April 24th we awoke to feel the gentle roll of the majestic steamer, a few secured views from the numerous port holes.

The home land was slipping away we were embarked on “the great adventure” We will not tire you with a description of the activities of those eight days at sea with the daily abandon ship drill’s the long slow moving mess line and the daily hour of exercises on deck.

The morn of May 3rd found us in the wonderful harbor of Brest, France. It surly was a great sensation for us poor soldiers to put our feet on firm ground once more it will also take some years for us to forget the those long miles of hiking to Napoleons Camp. It was a tired crew that threw off their packs and laid down for a nights rest on rough boards in squad tents.

The next Morning the fatigue of the previous day was forgotten. The experience of changing good American dollars into French currency was a pleasure for which many of the men stood in line for hours at a time.

Our first Sunday in France was given over to an open air religious service in the morning and in the afternoon LT. Gill took all the members of the company who wished for a hike over the highways in the farming district on the outskirts of Brest.

Forty Hommmes and eight cheveaert was our next experience and it lasted for three days and nights. The writer does not care to dwell upon this painful subject “Cuened Willee” and “Submarine Chicken” were prominent on the hill of farm. One night a recruit slept on the bread and a tale is told concerning the rescue of one Alexander Wyiniski who was paddled on his posterior anatomy by a French brakeman one night as Alex was cooling his head in the evening bugs at the car door. We will not continue the story of this trip for what we think of French railroads would fill the book. To make the sad story short we finally unwound or rather unpacked at a small station near Fayl-Billot, Haute Marne, France and marched six miles to the village.

Here the natives served hot coffee to the entire train. From a report concerning the regulations governing the sale of some unknown substances called, Vin Blanc and Vin Rouge were real off to cheer us up.

This had the desired effect and we curled up in the straw of our billet to dream of painting the town red on the morrow. We were quartered in a barn—not a bad place for France and after the cleaning and carpenter details got through with their jobs the place was quit comfortable. At this time France was sunny France.

The weather was wonderful and a little hike or detail from time to time out in the surrounding country broke the monotony of the long weeks of drill, street cleaning and carpentry work.

The social life of the place was not without its attractions. Even at this late date we often hear a sigh, when some members of the company mention Fayl-Billot. The evenings in the barracks were spent very joyfully by some members of the company.

Corporal Ahearn delivered his famous poem “through the knothole in the fence,” from time to time, much to the amusement of the assembled company.

The ills of private Clinton caused us much sorrow and a community of three were appointed to entertain the homesick boy. Their efforts, seconded by the best the village afforded, produced a remarkable change in the lad but we are sorry to announce that the change for the better was only temporary. The town had a bicycle shop which was patronized by all the members of the train, including our representative from the New York police department. It is painful to announce that Dan wore out one of the machines and in consequence learned the meaning of the term “beaucoeys francs.”

Our prosaic life here broke up on June the 12th. We loaded trucks and rode to Rimaucourt, stopping for mess at noon at Ohaemont. At Rimaucourt we were quartered in a clean barracks – the best home we have had in France. Here we have indulged in a weeks recreation. This consisted of unloading lumber, cement, and so forth from freight cars, digging a large water reservoir and other such outdoor sports. About five hundred Chinese Coolies were also working here and expressing our feelings in the words of Maggie Donovan; we did not mind to learn how to work but disliked the seeming classification. It was here we lost Private Clinton. He had been failing for some time and now he faded into the obscurity of a base hospital. It is with pleasure that we are able to announce that he is now in the bosom of his family once more.

On June 10th we sardined into some trucks once more and moved to Langres. We spent four days there and in the interim we were entertained with such minor sports as straightening nails and chopping up kindling wood. It is said that many of our men fell asleep at this job and that the hay fields were full of them for three days. There we were introduced to the mysteries of the gas mask. After strangling, snorting and some vile language we solved the problem and we have never parted from those false faces from that day to this. The company band was formed at this place. After much practice Earl Gardner announced that all the guitar strings in France had fallen a victim to his nimble fingers and in consequences he has given up his lessons for the duration of his stay in France.

Cammetti made good with the violin and still plays his favorite and only piece with feeling.

Wyimiski alone remains true to his trust and plays the harmonica much to the delight of the company.

On June 16th we bundled up into trucks once more and rode to Rambleaulln on the way we had our first brush with enemy. They open fire from the trucks in charge of corp Duell. Private Phillips fill out under arms and the enemy was soon routed. It is said the attack was caused by a cartridge belt which came in contact with a cigarette butt and consequently a few of those noise producers without a warning. Kind readers do not give poor Phillips away for his bravery deserves a (Croin-de-guere). Fully armed he was first on the scene of action, prepared to fight to the death, while Lieberman was running to the rear wildly giving the alarm.

Thirty packed trucks were awaiting Company A at Ramblenvilln. Our work of finding the Division which we there formed command at once. But our stay here was short for on the night of June 22nd we moved to Baccarat. Here the Huns staged a little entertainment for our special benefit on our first night in the town. we had heard much concerning air raids, but we were now to know what the real article was like. No one needed the warning to lie low and Corp. Clark forgot the brave old days when he used to “shoot up the ice cream parlors” and had the Company in one long dive for the safety of the underside of a truck. On June 23rd we moved to Ayerailles, still nearer the lines. Here the trucks were parked along the Luneville road, strung along the main thorghofare our trucks afforded an excellent target for the hostile planes, and so the powers that be decided to move to Baccarat, This move was made June 30th. On July 4th a good parking place was found for our trucks at Ayeralles, so back we moved once more.

We were working now in earnest, night and day our trucks were on the many roads leading to the front. Eighteen of men in charge of Sgt. Mendes were on detached service at Division Headquarters. There work consisted for the most part in returning casuals to their respective Company from the hospital “Maggie Donovan” became prominent on this detail for he drove the Division paymaster, a marked tribute to his traits of industry and honesty.

Corp Jones drove a Dodge car for the signal Corps. He claims that he drove more frances from the boys of the Corps than he did from the government judging from our own experience we are inclined to say that this is no “Bull”

_Oen___ this the Lorraine Front our drivers learned to drive at nights without lights. Quit as this sector was, night driving gave a zest to all details. We were continually warned about exposing lights, Many of the Company took these warnings so much to heart that they had the fear of death in their hearts every time a match was lighted after dark. Eddie Blake tells the following tale of a scare he had near the village of Puconne on the night of July 3rd. Ed was trucking lumber for the engineers and finished up the work about 11P.M. returning to Baccarat along a very dark narrow road, he met a French truck loaded down by the side of a knocked down barracks. He pulled over to the side of the road, but the road was too narrow and Eddie found himself stuck in the ditch in no man’s land with no chance of getting out without help. Out of the darkness a French guard appeared and much to the horror of Ed, he lighted a candle and looked the unfortunate truck over. All the French Ed know vanished at the sight of that light but he did manage to win the confidence of the guard who took him into a dugout where he telephoned to Baccarat for instructions. It is unnecessary to state that all the satisfaction he received from the phone was the time worn phrase “Your out of Luck” Ed’s new found friend decided that it was up to him to entertain so he took him into a hidden gun pit not ten feet away from the truck and explained the mysteries of the famous French 75,The only thing Ed could not appreciate was the constant presence of that candle-light which seemed as conspicuous as a bon-fire in that caution zone, and when he is willing to admit that it surely was a relief to his shattered nerves when the purr of another Co. A machine was heard approaching in the darkness. Eddie says he’ll never forget the ‘balling out’ Private Gardner and Private Van-Home gave him for (illuminating the sky line with that candle).

About midnight July30th our Company went through its worst experience on this section. We were still stationed at Ayeraeller and not far from the center of the village. It was a beautiful starlight night and the enemy airships were making their usual midnight rounds. Jerrys planes had been buzzing around above our heads for an hour or so when an Anti-air-craft gun crew station at our railhead decided to fire a few missiles skyward The shots frightened or rather angered the Hun aviator so much that he immediately dropped his “tail-gate” and unloaded six good sized bombs around in our immediate vicinity. The ground rocked-so did our hearts and stomachs except those that were stuck in the region of the Adams apple, with the falling balls of fire, crash of buildings and general confusion it seemed as though our “number” has been called. However, we luckily escaped with but a scare but not so with some of our brothers in arms in the nearby billets.

Lieutenant Gill was immediately on hand with his faithful Dodge and machaine he spent the remainder of the night caring for the wounded and convoying them to the hospital in Baccarat. This was our first experience of Hun savagery. Shel fire was very light on this sector Our trucks were very seldom in a shelled area up to that time but three of them were in a lively place on day in an ammunition dump just outside of Baccarat. We had driven in with three loads of one pounders when we ordered to drive up faster into the dump where we would be sheltered by an overhanging cliff for the place was being shelled regularly by every hour Barely were we in the edge of the cliff when we heard the scream of a shell followed by a terrific explosion and a shower of dirt. We ducked for that shell was followed by many more of a similar kind and for twenty minutes that ammunition dump was left to run itself and received what damage those shells might inflict.

On Auguest4th the word came to move to Gerbernille in this ruined city our supply train spent five moderately busy days New social relations sprang into being. The day before we left the first Sgt. Announced we would have a day of rest and recreation but when dawn came we were told that we were to spend the day indulging in such sports as cleaning our motors, rifles, and other equipment.

However, the main feature of the day was a Company inspection which was pulled off at four in the afternoon.

The early morning of August 9th found our train on its way to a new sector. This trip afforded much guessing for many rumors was afloat regarding our destination. Some had official information that we were going to Italy, but that was soon squashed in our journey in a western direction.

Three days traveling without incident brought our train to a halt outside of Chateau Lhurry how that name will ring down in history. Here unperceived an airplane sailed directly over our heads we heard the rattle of a machine gun and like magic the men disappeared and the only human thing in sight was a few legs sticking out here and there from the underside of the trucks. Albert Persch claims this not so for he and Cook Lieberman were running toward the center of a nearby field. The French pilot of that plane must have had a real good laugh at this joke.

It was late that night when we pulled up to unload some of our trucks at the new ration dump above Fere-en-Lardonis here the sky was constantly aglow with flashes and flares on the front and we did not need any urging to unload with some show of speed for we could hear those Hun 77s bursting with un believable regularity at points alarmingly near. It seemed that next one would drop on our heads and the dust surly flew along that road back to the village when our detail was finished.

The Company camped on the edge of the outskirts of Fere-en-Lardonis, Here Jerry sent over a few of his planes to call on us every evening and such beautiful moonlight nights. How we used to hate them.

Those of our Company who were not out nights on detail slept in a nearby wheat field, camouflaging themselves with the wheat straw, it surly was a rats life. Many French and Americans who had fallen for the cause lay silently in those same fields awaiting their burial.

The stench at times was terrific but such is the awful game of War. A few of our men slept in the woods.

We had many humorous experiences while there, one night Corp. Clark smelled some gas and nearly fainted.

Some of the boys boast of having swam “across” the Aurg River. We washed ourselves in this historic stream daily said to be red with German blood.

These were lively days for we drawing ammunition as well as rations, some lively details are on record but the shells were kind and fortunately fell short or fell over our heads.

One day one of the assist_____walked over to a well after a pail of water as he poured the water into the radiator a shell hit and shattered the old fashioned well in a thousand pieces.

Our next move was made on September 6th this was a short run to Mese Woodss in the direction of the Vesle from Fere-en-Lardonis. Our Division had routed the enemy from their impregnable fortification on the north side of the Vesle Valley and were chasing the flying Dutch man over the hillsides to the Aisne River. This made our Companies advance necessary. We yesterday looked upon Nesles Woods as in the danger zone and now it was our home. Here we had several dugouts which were used almost nightly for the next 15 days “Jerry” seeded to feel sure important instruments of war were hidden in those acres of green leaves and never failed to drop a few calling cards (bombs) each night. Corp. Shafer became so much at home in one of the dugouts that one evening during an impending raid he fell asleep while doing underground duty and came near spending the night in the water and urine. Among the lovers of dugouts we must not fail to mention “ Dugout Tom” who has become quite round shouldered from snapping in and out low doorways.

The memory of home and the dead one left behind was a source of constant worry to one of our sergeants, he was among the bravast of the brave but often to relieve his mind one of his Sgt. brothers would take his place on this or that detail up to the nasty front.

September the 18th and we were rolling again, this time to a new sector. It was quite a run through the beautiful Marne valley through Epeonay Chatous to the quiet little village of Givry where we spent four days drawing rations and other supplies for our Division. While in this town Lieutenant Gill left the command for a few weeks training at the motor transport school, in his absence Lieutenant Stratton was placed in command of our Company.

The only other incident we can remember about this of importance is the little shop where cheese could be bought. September 21st found us continuing on to our real destination ST. Menehauld was passed, and in settling down in the woods on the out skirts of Les Jsilettes we came to know that we were to join in a secretly planned American drive in the Argonne Forest. Our open air garage was some muddy hole and rubber boots were as necessary as life preservers on a stormy sea. We were drawing our rations from the rail head at Les Jselettes when real American locomotives were puffing away beside the funny little French engines. On one unexpected occasion the Huns made the rail head a direct target and a shower of shells fell around the tracks and rations cans for over half an hour. Fortunately many of the shells were “duds”, and there was a few casualties when the hymn of hate had subsided.

A few days before we moved again Lieutenant Gill Returned as a Captain to take command of the company once more. On the Memorial night of October 31st the Company moved to the new advanced railhead at Chatel-Chehery. We arrived in the early evening and were immediately greeted by the unmistakable and alarming near explosions of German shells. Many of the ugly missiles went screaming over our heads on their way to destruction. It seemed a warm place as any point was within three miles from the front lines, but it was 3:30 A.M. when the biggest of all shows commenced.

The beginning of the last great drive. Never can we forget that awful night and te terrific barrage sounding like a thousand boiler shops in operation all at once. Our Trucks were nearly all in the forward area hustling up troops, rations, and Ammunition. What part each individual truck played on that never to be forgotten night, and the days that followed will never be known but it is well understood that they played no mean part in the offensive that started on that Halloween night. We and the Boogy man which the Yanks showed the Huns produced a fright which had the Huns on the run from that day to this.

Our trucks were constantly in action, working day and night without rest or relief. In fact some of them did not get a chance to return to the company HDQT for over a week.

The enemy aviators machine gunned the busy roads, bombed convoys, and shelled all cross roads constantly in their retreat. Kind providence seemed to have taken charge of the works for supplies and ammunition went forward under the most trying conditions of roads, weather, and enemy activity. The Company kitchen and orderly room moved forward to Grand-

Pre on Nov 7th here the retreating enemy had left vast stores of all kinds including some building material which our men at once put to good service building shacks for quarters. In the hills above Grand-Pre we found many Hun stoves which were soon warming our new homes. It was here that the news of the Armistice reached us.

It seemed almost unbelievable after the weeks of the mad rush of war.

On the afternoon of November 11th we moved to Briquenay here we found billets in the deserted homes – not demolished.

Our stay here was brief for on November 14th we moved to Buzancy. Here we took advantage of the parts of field hospital which the Huns had failed to take with them. With those pieces we constructed several comfortable bungalows in which we lived in comfort when not on the road.

After the long months without lights and fires we out did ourselves with lionfires and glowing candles.

The Hun Airman, better known as “Jerry” was now a thing of the past and the talk of the Co. – began to run along such lines as home and a suit of blue serge.

On November 21st we were moving again and this time to a back area, our first halt was made at Les Jalettes, our old home. The town had changed since we had seen it last and now we could feel as safe here as in Brest. Our trucks were now hauling the effects of the Division back to the rest area assigned to us near Chaumont. The Company kitchen and orderly room remained behind until the morning of December 4th when we started on the long run to Bricon. Here the next day we were assigned to billets and began the work of feeding the Division once more. It is with no small amount of satisfaction that we note the increase of Sgt. Frasure. The incessant labor of the past months had its stamps on him and now once more he is assuming the avoirdupois lost in the labor of the past.

Our Division was represented by loading units of the A.E.F. review at Langres by President Wilson on Christmas Day and the Liberty boys were more than praised by the distinguished guests at this historic occasion. Mrs. Wilson gratefully accepted a gold liberty insignia presented to her by General Alexander Commander of the 77th Division on Christmas night Co A. had a glorious feed by way of the mess fun ?, after we had eaten our fill of chicken and goose we became joyful in the contemplation of the expenditure of 225 Francs. Songs, Declamations, and Recitations formed the program for the evening. The activities were at their height when in stopped the Captain who unexpectedly returned from a leave. We expected the heavens to fall and we nearly threw a fit when the only remark he made was “How is my dog”

It was Christmas so the festivities were permitted to continue until it was time to roll up in those blankets once more. Here in Bricon we finished the old year at the seff same job of hauling rations and equipment for the 77th Division. Here we have started the New Year 1919 and from here we (Veterans now) hope to leave for the homeland.

God, Country, “tout-aie-suite” to become once more that band of home loving citizens we were before the Huns destroyed the peace of the World.