Troops, Trucks, Guns, and Wagons
August 23, 1918: Left Vuillafans at midnight in trucks. Travelled until 2 A.M. at which time we arrived in Besançon. Left there by box cars at 11 A.M.
Aug. 25: Arrived in Pagny1 3 P.M. and hiked with full pack to the town Écrouves near Toul a distance of ten miles. Arrived there at 8 A.M. The top kick had two quarts of rhum and we decided we had carried that far enough in bottles. At 7 P.M. we left this town and I wish we had left the rhum in the bottles. We hiked 18 miles to Bois Nauginoard2 where we stayed for several days. Have been watching several good air battles. There has been heavy firing during the night and I am beginning to believe there is a war. Saw a wonderful air battle Aug 28. Five planes. Glad I am on the ground.
Sept. 1: We are now in another neck of the woods and getting ready for some big drive. We have had several gas scares. The big guns are sure going. But they don’t bother my sleep.
Sept. 8: Sunny France. Talk about rain and mud. Nothing else but. Looks as tho we might see action soon.
Sept. 12: Drive on Mt. Sec3 or the Saint Mihiel Offensive4 started at 1 A.M. Took ammo up forward. Lost my driver and had to handle the truck alone. Got it in the shoulder, but left arm. Sent back to 1st aid station at Corniéville. In the middle of the night I watched the battle from the top of a hill. What a sight that was, one never to be forgotten.
Sept. 13: We are again on the move. This time where are we going? We passed thru Beaumont, it is a mass of ruins. Camped for the day behind the 3rd line trenches.
Sept. 15: We rest during the daylight and move under cover of darkness. The roads are very congested. Just one mass of moving troops, trucks, guns, and wagons.
Sept. 16: We stopped near Ligny5 on the Rhine-Marne Canal. The old canal proved to be a good bath tub. About 1400 of us took advantage of this and took our first bath in days.
Tuesday Sept. 17: We stopped in Brabant en Argonne. We are billeted in what is left of the homes. The top kick and I have a whole house to ourselves. But there is only the one room of the house left. Sept 16, the Dutch shot one corner of that room away and almost scared us out.
Sept. 25: The Marne-Argonne Offensive opened up tonight and what a roar the old guns made and are still making.
Sept. 26: The war is sure on. Never again do I expect to see or hear anything like this. We are busy hauling ammunition. Boy how those guns roar.
