Sgt. Arthur Danielson (right) somewhere in France (1918-1919)
Somewhere in France
Oct. 25th, 1918
Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Danielson
Dearest Bro. and Family—
Will try to write a few lines to you today and let you know that I am still on earth and very much alive.
Have been on this front just a month now but it seems a year since we moved up here.
Have seen what war is like now and I will say like Sherman said “War is hell,” only more so.
Have seen many prisoners go by, and many wounded but those dough boys never make a whimper as they come by, some walking, others riding in ambulances and big trucks.
Some day I hope Ill get back and tell you no end of news.
Fritz comes over now and then [at] night and drops a few bombs and shoots up things in general, but it avails him nothing. He is not getting away with it much.
John and Emil were around here close but I did not get to see them, but I hope they got out alright. They had some very tough fighting up in front. We have only a few casualties in our company so far but I hope we get no more.
Not long ago the captain saw fit to reduce me to a duty sergeant from 1st Class Sergeant, but I have not found any difference in my work so far. But I’m doing more now than I have at any time since coming over, and I’m not doing very much at that. I only wish they would give me some of my own work to do.
Have just finished mailing out the daily report and its soon time to go to bed.
You ought to see the little homes we have over here, of course we are all sleeping in our little shelter tents, but we have made ours very comfortable, two of us in a tent.
We see a great many areoplanes every day, but we seldom see one fall now days.
Just now they are shooting hell out of the huns and I hope they get a lot of them before they get us and ours.
Well John, guess I’ll close for this time but I hope I’ll hear from you soon, and send me lots of papers and magazines.
Love to All—Arthur
Sgt. A. C. Danielson
Co. “L” 23rd Eng’s A.E.F.
Emil Larson (left) and Paul Danielson (right)
German submarines were an ever present danger to troop ships crossing the Atlantic. The YMCA assisted soldiers in notifying family members that they had arrived safely in Europe.