Clark County NV Archives Obituaries.....GUSTINE, Clyde 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nv/nvfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gerry Perry missgerry@cox.net May 23, 2004, 12:27 am Las Vegas AGE - 6/22/1918 A BROTHER IS DEAD ON FIELDS OF FRANCE LETTER RECEIVED FROM YOUNG SOLDIER-MESSAGE OF HIS DEATH THE SAME DAY William T. GUSTINE, who has the store, postoffice, and restaurant at Indian Springs, the other day received a letter from his brother Clyde, written from "Somewhere in France." The letter is full of interest and filled the folks at home with pride and good cheer. The same day, soon after reading the letter, came a message from the war department, short but carrying a world of sorrow. "Clyde GUSTINE died of wounds received on the field of battle." We have been permitted to publish a portion of the last letter written by the brave young American soldier to those who were dear to him: 'SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE, April 29, 1918. - Dear Brother and Folk: "I just received your letter and no wonder you haven't heard from me. I have written you several letters to Indian Springs, N. M. as that is the address Marie gave me. "I am glad to hear of your doing your bit as all men should. I received a picture of you and Billie and Bess from Marie last winter, but lost it with my French book. Also mother's Marie's and Della's.***** "Tell the boys to go and enlist and don't wait to be drafted. I am sorry to hear of Mr. EDDY's death, he was a fine man. ***** "I got a letter from 'Dad' EMMONS tonight and he is the same jolly old man. He says he would quit wearing trousers to whip the Kaiser, and I believe he would. Tell little Billie his uncle said hallo, and tell Bess to send that sweater and socks early this fall if I am not home before. I got a letter from Aunt Nell in Arkansas saying they were in the mining business, so it looks as if they were producing some lead too. Harry COOK is in Tulsa, Okla., and Earl FRYE {illegible} letters from them. I have met three boys from home with the K. C. signal corps ** "We have made two hitches in the trenches and are now back in the prettiest woods you ever saw, in a rest camp. But there is no stream to fish in and I am nuts to go fishing. The Boche shells whiz over us, but as long as they miss, let them shoot. I have had them light awfully close, but a miss is a miss. I haven't had much chance with that peg of mine and you throw a grenade different anyway, but my time is coming. "By the time this reaches you I will have been 6 months in the zone of advance so I will have a service stripe. I was made private, 1st class on the boat coming over, so I guess that is as high as I will get. At that, it is the best job in the army. Bill, so far you might say I have seen no fighting except artillery and a few gas attacks, but at that, shrapnel and high-explosive have hit mighty close; and Boy! I am a bear getting in my gas mask. ****** "These towns over here look like a big fire had gutted them, and it was those big German 210 & 380 guns raised hell. But when they shell us we usually are in dugouts taking life easy and waiting for them to come over. "When we first came over, I hit this sour red wine and champagne up but I have got off of it, so I guess will wait for American drinks. You can buy beer here, but it is half water, and they don't know what whiskey is. And Bill, I swear I have never seen a Frenchman drink water yet - always wine. They carry wine in their canteens. "I think I will make an allotment for mother so it will make it some easier for her. Tell Bess I don't believe she had better come to France as women over here wear wooden shoes and get down on their knees and wash clothes on a board. But they can sure French-fry potatoes and are all good cooks, but they haven't anything on mother. "We seem to have as much fun here as anywhere and when we come out of the trenches we sure make up for lost time. We haven't had time to play ball much this spring as we are kept on the jump, but will later on. I don't believe there is a bowling alley in France and pool tables are scarce. "We were in a town for a while where there were no civilians, all having left, and you saw pictures on walls - where there were walls - and some furniture. But that town was sure wrecked. We lived in dugouts while there and a Y.M.C.A. is always {illegible} only that is something we sure like - anything sweet. "Well, Brother, I must close, hoping you get this and write me often, and I will you. Kiss little Billie for me, and sometime I hope to tell him of the sights I have seen. So goodby, with love. I am, as ever, Your brother CLYDE Co. K. 168 U.S. Inf., A.E.F. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nvfiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb