NEWS: J. Roy BINGMAN Writes Home, July-August, 1918, of Juniata, Blair County, PA

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JUNIATA BOY WRITES LETTERS OF FRANCE

Lieutenant J. Roy Bingman Tells Mother of Activities on the Other Side

  Mrs. J. C. Bingman, of 513 Eleventh avenue, Juniata, has received three 
interesting letters from her son, Lieutenant J. Roy Bingman, now in France.  
He tells of his arrival over seas and details his duties and some thoughtful 
comment upon the French peasantry.  He is attached to Headquarters company, 
315th infantry.
  There follows excerpts from the letters.
  In France 7/20/18  Dear Mother and All.  At my station at last.  We are 
billeted in a very old quaint village, about sixty miles from the front.  I 
can't cease wondering at the people, customs and sights.  From what I have 
seen nine-tenths of France is cultivated, a few trees Pine, Oak, Locust and a 
few others woods.  The hills remind me of Pennsylvania.  With a brother 
officer I was up on a large hill tonight, saw three villages the houses being 
built close together.  The farmers live in the towns but there is no one to 
work in the fields but women.  You can see old women 80 years old working, 
gathering wood and hoeing, but never a young man.
  I am able now to get along pretty good in the language.  Have to say a few 
words in French and finish out with my hands (like a Jew) but the people are 
so polite we have many a laugh.  (I guess on me.)
  The tide has evidently turned according to all accounts we get from the 
officers back from the front, they tell us the Americans are walloping the 
spots off the Boches. (French slang.)
  Lieut. McGuire and I have a large room to ourselves, our bed is about three 
feet high and all feathers.  We have an eiderdown mattress for a cover and 
maybe I didn't sleep last night, the first time I had my clothes off in six 
days.  Our bathing facilities are poor have to wash in a bowl.
  One can't realize how big a job Uncle Sam has to send troops 3,500 miles 
and send food along, too, but he is equal to the emergency.  The French 
people marvel at the work our Government is doing.  We are also feeding and 
clothing a large part of France, building hospitals, Y.M.C.A. and Red Cross 
work is wonderful.  Every place we stopped we were greeted with an honest to 
goodness American woman with a cup of coffee and a smile. My hat is off to 
them.  The curfew is ringing 9:15 p.m.
  I have to censor the mail of my men, from 7 to 8 I teach school and after 8 
censor letters.  Some of them are funny when a boy writes to his sweetheart 
he has lots to tell her.  Most of the men give a pretty good description of 
the country; one lad writes that the people get old at 30.  Over here, of 
course, their customs are so antiquated.  I think this town was built around 
1600, stables and barnyards and no drainage.  "Wow the Smell" but we are 
rapidly getting things in a sanitary condition.  Our food is good.  We had 
wild boar the last two days, one of the men of the village shot it.  The 
hills are full of them, the meat is dark and fine.  I am feeling great, of 
course a little fatigued from my long journey.  The health of the men is fine 
and I am perfectly contended.  Don't worry about me mother I am in good 
hands.
  Aug. 4th. - We use our guard house for anything.  Last night it rained and 
we had ten men three horses a pen of rabbits, two hundred shell for cannon 
and a motorcycle in it.  This a.m. I had a detail cleaning out the public 
fountain.  The women of the town congregate on Monday morning and do their 
washing in one large basin built of stone about 15 by 30 feet.  They wash and 
rinse the clothes in the same water and it has not been changed for months.  
There was one half foot of slime in the bottom.  We sure surprise the people 
with our sanitary methods.  Tomorrow they can wash in perfectly pure aqua.
  The is lots of plums in this place and we got a good many to eat.  The 
health of the men is very good and the weather fine, warm in daytime and cool 
at night.  I never expected to crawl into a feather bed and eat off a table 
cloth but it is true.  Give me all the news and you can send me all kinds of 
newspaper clippings.  I may ask for things later but at present I don't need 
anything.  Give my love to all.
      ROY.
Hdq. Co. 315th Inf. American E. F.

Altoona Tribune, Thursday morning, August 22, 1918, page 2