SECTION 3
1918 Correspondence
1918 LETTER #16:
LETTER SUMMARY:
This letter contains a detailed and interesting account of the ARMISTICE.
-- Bootus proudly details the unsurpassed accomplishments of the Yankee Division, and makes a drawing of their new YD shoulder patch
-- THE LAST DAY OF THE WAR:
"I wouldn't have missed it for anything"
-- From the 4:30 A.M. announcement to the 11:00 A.M. armistice
-- Firing the "last" shot of the War
-- Work under shelling to fill a hugh road mine impeding the planned attack and advance
-- After everything stilled:
"TO HEAR JUST ONE SHOT, WOULD HAVE BROKEN EVERY HEART THERE"
--Relaxing from TEN MONTH'S TENSION
-- A Doughboy friend is sick due to drinking water out of a SHELL HOLE where he had laid between the lines for two days
-- Our BAND "played a few songs for the Boche"
-- At dusk "the flares started up, and it looked like a Fourth of July"
-- "The Boche joined in the Jubilee and contact with them occurred at several places along the line"
-- "We can get a fine sulfur bath and I WILL GET RID OF THAT "COOTIE"
SOME EXCERPTS FROM THIS LETTER:
2 pages, a typed original letter with original drawing of the Yankee Division (YD) patch. Some tears and discoloration of the paper, but far less deterioration and much better rag content than the previous (15th letter).
Priv. H.W. Chapman
Co. D, 101st U.S. Eng.
A.E.F.
Nov. 19th 1918.
Dear Ma and Pa:
Mil and I are at Aix Le-Bains sojourning for the winter in France. After fourteen months service overseas, we got our first day off.
[...]
The YD was the first Division in the trenches as a division, and we were not taken out until three days after the armistice was signed thereby being in the longest. We have been on six different fronts, and were the principal factor in each of the three American drives. We were a shock division, and French Generals state that we were the greatest attacking unit on the Western Front.
In the first American drive on July 18th we drove further than any unit had driven in this war. We were in the first American engagement last spring at Seicheprey and have been fighting ever since and doing such good work that Gen. Von Hindenburg stated that the best unit in the U.S. had or would have was the New England Unit. We have quite a few citations but very few old timers left to receive the credit.
There will be many wearing service chevrons before we get home, but you can be proud of the two that Mil and I are each wearing for they represent more than a years overseas, they represent practically two service stripes in the trenches. When we come home you will see a YD on our left shoulder similar to this "DRAWING OF YD PATCH" It means Yankee Division which will represent more hardship and more fighting than any unit that I know of in the A.E.F.
With the War over and Mil and I through it without a scratch I feel safe in telling you for the first time that WE HAVE PASSED THROUGH A HELL of which you have gained little knowledge from my previous letters.
After a booming of guns in your ears for ten months the last day was something I wouldn't have missed for anything. At 4:30 A.M. we started towards the lines, the mist preventing you from seeing twenty yards ahead. The artillery began to bang away, not a barrage, but a full sized bombardment.
We heard that hostilities were to stop at 11:00 A.M. and we hoped so, but didn't dare to place much faith in the rumor. As we passed the light field pieces (75's) they told us they were going to fire their last shot by 11:00. Then guns were placed on the side of the road, as we passed each one of us took a turn at pulling the lanyard. Of course each time we were informed that that was the last one to be fired so that we could have the honor.
The Boche were sending over a counter bombardment and as we pulled down the lines the Boche machine guns were playing all around us but not a man was hit. Lucky, well I thought sure I would get it the last minute after seeing it all through without a scratch and felt how foolish it was not to let us lay low until 11:00 but a road mine had been blown up and orders were to fill it up for traffic to pass, for the advance we were getting ready for.
It was some hole too. Moving pictures were taken of it the day after and we were still filling it up a day after that. Mines which were set, but not blown, had to be removed and tank barriers taken out, in most cases blown out. We set to work and at one minute to eleven we all stopped work, looked at each other and waited.
Suddenly everything stilled and the ring went out of the ears. We could hardly believe it and waited sometime TO HEAR JUST ONE SHOT, WHICH WOULD HAVE BROKEN EVERY HEART THERE.
Not a shot and I could feel myself RELAXING FROM TEN MONTH'S TENSION. I felt a bit weak but something seemed to make me feel that someone had cut the ball and chain I had been dragging over six fronts.
We ate dinner and corn willy never tasted better and the coffee tasted sweet, although it hadn't seen sugar since leaving home. We went back to work but my whole body had relaxed too much for any serious effort.
A doughboy pal of mine, came along and stopped to talk with me. He was one of the old originals, been in every engagement, never lost a day in the lines and hadn't been sick a day since leaving home. But now, he looked thin and yellow, covered with mud and his eyes blurry. He told me he was sick for the first time, due to drinking water out of a shell hole (probably gas poisoned) where HE HAD LAID BETWEEN THE LINES FOR TWO DAYS.
Though he should have been in bed there was a smile on his face, it was over, and he had played it through. Suddenly a boom rang out and I looked straight at him. The smile came off and tears came in his eyes and I thought he was going to fall. I hurriedly explained to him that it was the Engineers blowing up a tank barrier and the smile slowly came back. He said, "for God's sake don't tell me THAT HELL has started again." I tell of this incident for it was the general feeling throughout the unit.
Later in the afternoon OUR BAND CAME UP AND PLAYED A FEW SONGS FOR THE BOCHE and it sure did look out of place, a band playing just our side of "No Man's Land."
As soon as the dusk came, the flares started up, and it looked like a Fourth of July celebration. Hundreds of rockets were in the air at the same time. The night before THE GREEN ROCKET MEANT GAS, but that night no one cared whether they ever owned a gas mask. Red rockets went up for a barrage but not an answer. THE BOCHE JOINED IN THE JUBILEE and contact with them occurred at several places along the line. Ground flares lit up "No Man's Land" practically all night.
[...]
There are over a hundred hotels here and a wonderful Y.M.C.A. It formerly was a large gambling casino, ranking nect to Monte Carlo. We can get a fine sulfur bath and I WILL GET RID OF THAT "COOTIE" if I have to lay in the bath for my entire seven days.
[...]
Love,
Bootus
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