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CORP. SEILHEIMER
IS NOT WOUNDED
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Writes Letter Home Declaring
He Pulled Through Struggle
"Without a Scratch."
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Bourguignon-Lee-Morey,
Frence, January 7, 1919.
~~~"Received your two letters on Dec. 6th and 7th, and was very glad to you hear from you and that you are in the best of health as myself. Where did you ever get that news from that I was wounded? Thank God I was among the fortunate and pulled through this great struggle without a scratch on me. I was very near hit with a piece of shrapnel: I was standing alongside of my tent and Jerry sent over a shell that burst about a 100 feet from me and the fell all around me---some lucky kid. This same shell tore a hole in the ground that you could burry a wagon and a team of horses in. It was nine feet deep and sixteen feet wide. Then another time I was sleeping in a building at Ruzancy about three miles from the front when all at once I was awakened by bursting bombs, it was Jerry flying over me and my pal and he dropped five bombs on the adjoining building where we slept. We got up then and crawled in a corner as that is the safest place you can get in. Then we heard him open his machine gun on the troops that were on a march but it was dark and he did not make a hit and all was well and that was the last trouble we had with Jerry, after that we drove him so fast that we could not keep up with him. We kept on driving until Nov. 9, when our division was relieved and two days later the armistice was signed, and the cry here was "Boche Finish."
~~~"I received the Christmas box and thank you very much for same, those Bogert's kisses were sure good but they did not last very long. I received a letter from George Van ...*... and he informed me of the death of
Fred Grapentine, and I felt very sorry for him. I also express my deepest sympathy for Capt. Harry Doremus. I have written George Dulcek and have not heard from him up to this date, have you heard from him lately? Charles Fleishman was also wounded in action but I believe he is getting along nicely. They sure do treat the boys wonderful at these convalescent hospitals from what I hear and I am mighty glad as nothing is too good for them for what they had to face up at the front. What do you think of the name of the town we are in, isn't it a jawbreaker? We can't buy a postal card in the town or anything else. We bought a few eggs and they cost me 6 franks a dozen, or 1$ in American money, and we were glad to get them at that store. I guess I will bring this letter to a close as I want this to be censored in the morning and sent off to you as soon as possible so as to let you know that I am in the best of health and not wounded as you have been informed. Give my kind regards to the kiddies, Artie and yourself, and to Hedwig and Erwin, if you are there and don't forget Aunt Emily and my friends around the neighborhood. I forgot your sister Anna, and by the way if you see Mrs. Sohanf give her my kindest regards. So I will close with all my love to you all. I remain,
"Your loving Corporal, somewhere in France ."
"CORP. PHILIP SEILHEIMER.
"Hdq. Horse Detachment.
"107th Ammunition Train
"American Exp. Forces.
"American Post office 742.
* his last name is unreadable in the original article. |
