Dear Folks:
Am sitting on the mail drum with my feet on the stove and while the writing accommodations aren't all that can be desired I think I can finish this before it is time to dust out in this sea of mud and sheets of rain to play a battalion parade. The major has been on leave and I suppose he wants to see how well his men have been drilling during his absence. We went out for one hour's drill in a beastly rain this morning. Now don't worry over a little thing like that as we are used to all kinds of exposure over here and it doesn't bother us in the least. When I get home I am going to go barefooted in the snow - am getting just that hard boiled. It always rains I guess during this time of year.
Made a New Year's resolution to quit swearing and broke it twelve times the first three hours and gave up in disgust. Well I am improving as I am trying to quit and don't swear as much as I used to. Guess you had better pray for me a bit if you don't want me to disgrace the good church members when I get home.
Well we have been here in foreign service the major portion of our six months and if we were to return tomorrow we would be entitled to wear our gold service stripe.
I suppose Price and Thompson are home by now. They sailed from Bordeaux or Brest the 25th of last month - they should at least have landed in the states. They are pretty lucky I think. I don't believe they saw any service at all. Well we have and I am glad it is over. The Regimental Chaplain told us last night that we were to have taken part in the drive on Metz. Metz is surrounded by four sections of barbed wire entanglements each over a quarter of a mile deep and set in concrete. One hospital was to be ready to take care of 500 a day - now what do you think of that. We were right there too and only one day separated us from a very interesting session with the Germans on a very active sector. You can bet that we were powerfully lucky.
We put on a show last night about twenty five kilometers from here for the 349th Inf. We played in a "Y" and had a good big crowd. The houses are always packed.
How about the Ford?
Think we have another show tonight. It is raining too. We have seats in the truck and it is rather a comfortable ride at that. Most of the French roads are very good.
We hear rumors both ways on going home. So don't be surprised if we get home right away or stay here until summer. Lord knows we are all anxious enough to get home.
Hope it keeps raining as we won't have to go out in that beastly parade. The French have little rocks or bits of concrete all over their fields and with that and the mud makes it a swell dish playing.
Hope my mail is all reaching you. I think I am getting about all of yours. Had a letter from Granddad and one from you but yours was an old one. Deva's were late ones - the eleventh and the thirteenth of December. That is mighty good time. I think Pa's was about the eleventh. Was surely glad to get them.
Grant
