Letter from Edward Meier to Frank - November 24, 1918
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[November] 24 -[1918] Lerouville, France. Hello Frank, Today is
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combat organizations that have not been here long enough to see many sectors, Group 2 are the men of combat organizations that have seen several quiet sectors and men of non combatant troops, such as Quarter Master, Military Police, Service of Supplies Etc, who know absolutely every thing that has happened since Uncle Sam threw his hat in the ring. Group 3, are the men of combat organizations that have seen enough of this war to be able to truthfuly say that Sherman was right When a fellow first get over here he is very timid and continualy looking for information about the war
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If he meets anyone that has been over here a little longer than himself he immediately puts down a mean question barrage, which runs something like this, how do you do this in the trenches, what does the square head do when you shoot at him, is he realy afraid of cold steel, how long do you think it will last That is group one. After you have done a hitch in several quiet sectors, you have graduated from a rookie and are then a seasonal, battle scared veteren, and are continualy telling some one about, the sniper you brought down, or the flying pig that set you on your eyebrow without scratching you, or the
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patrol you chased all over no mans land with a butcher knife. Thats group 2. All of a Sudden without any warning you are yanked out of one of these quiet sectors hiked until you are certain that there isnt a road in France that you haven
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[page 2] lost some of your best friends and seen sights that are to hideous even to try to describe, you
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who says that the first 10 years of the war will be the worst, that will hold him for a while. Things went along as I have described getting worse all the time, until it has come to where, no matter who you run up against if you start to talk [m.s. illegilbe: 2 wds], he grabs his nose with one hand and throws the other above his head as if to pull down a chain and backs away fro you. I was just wondering if that state of affiars has reach United States, that what I meant when I said, I didn
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I hope it hasn
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Stayed there 21 days, Hiked back to Wesserling rode in trucks same day, to Saulseux [Saleux] France stayed there 26 days rode in trucks to Collet stayed over night hiked 10 kilos to trenches stayed there 16 days, took trucks to some town,(can
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[page 3] kilos behind the line just north of Verdun, stayed all day, Marched 25 kilos in [m.s. illegible: 2 wds] over during the day [m.s. illebible 1 wd] French Army to a hill [m.s. illebible: 1 wd] behind the line stayed [m.s. illegible: 1 wd] 4 days, about 10 kilos [m.s illegible: 2 wds] days we marched [m.s. illegible] under one the fierciest barrages I have ever heard, went over the top at 530 A, pushed the Square head day and night for six days takeing the towns of Cheppy, Very, Baulny and Xermont, left the line the 7th day shocked to Cheppy stayed there over night, hiked
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Chizeville 14 kilos, stayed overnight hiked 15 more kilos laying overnight in the woods hiked 20 kilos to Sommoise stayed 10 days. Hiked 20 kilos to a french camp in the woods stayed a night and day hiked 10 kilos more to another camp in the woods stayed over day hiked 11 kilos more to the trenches the line there was about 20 kilos from Etain, staid there 20 days hiked 30 kilos to a town on the Verdun Metz road, stayed night and were expecting to make a drive next day and take the Metz Sedan Railroad, Armistice Knocked that in the head so we marched 38 kilos to
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Dagonville where the regiment is now, I stayed there 5 days and was sent to the 35th division Signal School which is here. Outside of that we haven
Details
| Title | Letter from Edward Meier to Frank - November 24, 1918 |
| Creator | Meier, Edward |
| Source | Meier. Edward. Letter to Frank. 24 November 1918. World War I Collection. A1771. Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | Private Edward W. Meier of St. Louis, Missouri, served with the 138th Infantry during World War One. Meier wrote his cousin-in-law Frank Baebler, also of Saint Louis, several humorous letters during the War. In this letter, Meier described the different types of soldiers and summarized his time in France. |
| Subject LCSH | United States. Army. A.E.F., 1917-1920; World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States |
| Subject Local | World War I; WWI |
| Site Accession Number | A1771 |
| Contributing Institution | Missouri History Museum |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond those allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Missouri History Museum: 314-746-4510 |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. Contact the Missouri History Museum's Permissions Office at 314-746-4511 to obtain written consent. |
| Date Original | November 24, 1918 |
| Language | English |