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During World War I, a number of Minot soldiers wrote
to Minot High School students about their experiences in the field. A
1918 editorial in Minot High’s paper, the Searchlight, reads, “Not
long ago these boys were in the quiet of their homes in a peaceful country.
Today, in a strange land they are facing the world’s bloodiest struggle.”
Included were excerpts from letters, including one from 2nd Lieutenant
J. H. Leslie, who was with the 166th Infantry in a small French town.
“The streets just wander around and suddenly stop,” he wrote.
“The houses are unusually low, tile covered buildings, with half
used as a house and half as a stable while the upstairs is used for the
threshing which is done by a crude threshing machine driven by dog power...
The people usually have enough for one meal and that is all. We can hear
the constant rumble or rather growl of guns somewhere.”
Sgt. Neil Wheeler was also serving in France, but with the 164th Infantry.
He wrote, “Dear MHS Students: A letter to anyone miles from home
is worth more than the sender thinks as it makes one feel closer to home
and makes this army life a great deal easier to take. This afternoon I
have classes in telephone, telegraph, etc. The army has every means of
communications that is possible, and to one with electrical knowledge
it is a great place. As for me I would not change places with any man
in Minot. They call this ‘sunny France’, how they got it is
more than we can figure. Tonight the sky has cleared and we hope to see
the sun in the next seven days.”
Lieutenant Henry “Caesar” Murphy distinguished himself as an
outstanding UND basketball player before the war. He was serving with
the 338th when he wrote, “This is a great life if you don’t
weaken. I am in the Divisional Machine Gun Battalion. I think it is the
only line and I am strong for it. They say the average life of a gunner
is seven minutes, but that is nothing in my young life.”
Sgt. Glen Moon was also serving with the 164th. “A Yankee can sure
can get an eye full in this country in short order,” he wrote. “The
buildings look as though they had been standing for years and years, and
I think they have as I saw (the year) 1053 on one of them... There are
ten or fifteen Minot men here and we have good times among ourselves when
we have the time.”
Pvt. John Rasmussen was likely one of those, as he was serving in the
164th, as well. In his letter, he wrote, “Today I had charge of seven
prisoners, following them about from slop hole to wood pile, from dump
to kitchen, with bayonet fixed and five good cartridges in the magazine.
The orders are to keep a distance of several paces; my feeling of security
with bayonet and all, led me to feel more like a condescending comrade
and I enjoyed my walk and incidental talk very much.
“The boys were in prison for various things,” he continued.
“– desertion, leave, stealing, fighting – but their continual
sense of being criminals has the effect of hardening them, and I fancy
that when they are let out it means only a drop in the moral standard
of their companies, for the fellows feel outcasts, sore and harsh. Cold
eats may make good criminals but not good soldiers.
“It has been a bright day and warm,” Rasmussen wrote, “consequently
much snow melted and we’re again mud-hens; slush, in sodden mud,
slop, water and our feet make unearthly noises, as we go – slug,
squirt, flubb, slup, squart, suck, squaash and our feet progress from
clamminess to moist discomfort to soppiness, and after that we notice
them no more. I’m happy, have an appetite for cobble stones and feel
more like a soldier every day.”
Source: http://www.minot.k12.nd.us/mps/cc/history/war1918.html
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