July 18, 1918

PHIL SEILHEIMER

NOW A CORPORAL

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Writes of Trip Abroad,

U-Boat Incident and Train

Ride to French Camp.

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~~~Corporal Philip Seilheimer, a well known Hackensack young man, a member of Headquarters Horse Detachment, 307th Ammunitions Train, writes an interesting letter of his trip from Camp Gordon , Ga , to the mountains of France , where his detach-ment is now in training. During the trip he says they traveled 4,600 miles, sailing from Camp Mills one Sunday in May. They had one U-boat scare on the way over, but a dirigible air-ship opened fire and was assisted by the convoy and the "sub" disappeared without doing any damage. A rough sea was also encountered during which "the crockery was smashed galore."

~~~The landing was made on the English coast and as they hitched to a train they were cheered on all sides. The rode across England , through the most beautiful scenery, to a rest camp, where there was a day-and-a-half stay. Then came the trip across the English Channel and a two-day rest, then a day and a half train ride to the present camp.

~~~"I was in camp six days when I was made a corporal, and felt proud of it," Phil says. "The country around here is grand, right up in the mountains. We have a dandy Y. M. C. A. and the boys enjoy it immensely"

~~~Phil says he "received five copies of the Evening Record yesterday and I was mighty glad to get them even though they were of an early May date, and again get in touch with the happenings at home."

~~~He says the boys are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their horses as they miss their morning horse-back ride. He is in the best of health and wants to be remembered to all his friends.

~~~Sergt. Walter Wernsing of State Street , is also with the 307th Ammunition Train, and is probably stationed at the same camp