Letter to Aunt Nell -

Burey - la - Cote

12 January 1919

Dear Aunt Nell -

Well - here's our first real winter morning - cold out and this cussed Frog stove I have not exactly under but (?) my chair is worse than no stove at all. It's simply an aggravation! A week ago I left on advance billeting party - coming through past Commercy to the "Abbey of Orangevale" an old, historic monastery some 300 years old. I slept there that night and billeted the place next day for my Battalion - leaving (?) Bosqu, Colombey & Toul for Pagny-la-Blanche-Mont, our new Regt'l H.Q. from there, with the towns of Burey - la - Cote and (?) assigned to my Bn. I proceeded to allot the billets to the men, officers & animals. You see I have about 1100 men, 30 officers and 90 animals to take care of. Well, I picked a private house for my Major & Adjt.; another for the 2 medical officers; one for the transport officer; one for the Rifle Instructor & 1 for the Gas officer. Now - naturally the Intelligence officer should have advance dope on meal time so I reserved the capacious & luxurious old French bedroom, in the house where our orderlies & H.Q. cooks stay, cook our food & serve it in the dining room directly beneath their bed room - so - Lt. Bliss, 1st Bn. Intelligence officer is nearest "chow!" The one advantage of the advance billeting detail - and - naturally I knew all the really pretty mademoiselles by their first names, at least - before another Yank even arrived! Ha! Ha! Oh! between my good looks and excellent French - I'm a hit with these French maidens! Ha! Ha! Anyhow - I give 'em a thorough once over - eye 'em pretty strong to get 'em fussed up so they won't notice my poor French then - shucks! nothing to it - they're as nice as can be! Anyhow - I know 'em all here! Fact is I went to church with one this morning! Oh! A Burberry Trench coat, blue piping on overseas cap, polished putties & shoes - and - they just have to fall - and bah! Jove! my bully English cane!

By the way - what do you think of my stationery? [backsides of 2 sheets of B&W topographical map] Here how 'tis. We're out here in this little town, on the Meuse River, 7 kilos north of Domremy (birth place of Joan of Arc) (am going to ride the Major's horse down next Sunday to see it) and there's no YMCA or store where paper can be secured so I'm using the back of a (?). One of my scouts has been promised a ride to Columbey so I'm going to give him a pass so he'll go Tuesday and I've a list of paper, envelopes, tobacco, and cigars and will be OK shortly.

There's not a store, cafe' or anything in this town and so it's pretty hard spending spare time. The Red Cross sent us all the magazines they could - but we sent 'em out to the companies and - as usual - the YMCA fell down so - we're isolated here. 

Well - will close for now - hoping I hear from you tout - de - suite - as ever

With much love, / Clyde

More diary entries -

 January 13, 1919, Mon.

Had my outfit busy all day - very good day's work. Sent out reports on billets. Loaned Sorenson 100 fr. Played cards and wrote mother & Anna in evening.

January 14, 1919, Tues.

Busy with section and billeting work all day. Being town Major is a hell of a job. Had uniform fixed, etc. The Major left today on his leave.

January 15, 1919, Wed.

Usual drill & lectures today. Rec'd 8 letters today - 2 from Anna, E.M.W., B.N., E.R., H.D., L.B.F. & Grandma Spoor. Ans'd Anna & Leon. Some chaps up for instruction in evening.

January 16, 1919, Thur. Fair.

Good day of drill & instruction. Rec'd letter from Aunt Nell. Busy on final billet reports.

Letter to Aunt Nell.

Burney - la - cote.

16 January 1919.

Dear Aunt Nell -

I think I wrote you Sunday - or anyhow, not so very long ago - but your letter of December 3rd (the first letter I've had from you in over 3 months! Fact!) just arrived.

As to the money sent me, I guess it must be lost, or still on the way! Presumably if it is traced, or checked up, it will be located some place. Did it come through the Equitable Trust Company? You see it was probably mailed out of Paris to me at the Army Candidates School at A.P.O. -714 - Langres, haute Marne - and, not reaching me before I left, was lost or returned to Paris. No - it did not seriously inconvenience me as I had some (?) Travelers' checks and some back pay as a Sergeant so had enough money to buy some what of a satisfactory outfit. The only thing it prevented me buying was some extra stuff, such as high boots, trench coat, etc. - as I only wanted to equip myself with the very best of everything - so waited for a first pay check or so - then get all set - so now - am just as well of as though I'd never needed it - and, as for it's affecting my commission - I'd earned it too thoroughly to have anything - even the approaching armistice affect that!

Didn't I ever mention my Belgian ribbon before? I swear I thought I'd spoke about it in one of my letters to you. And - anyhow - you take it all together too seriously. You see a detachment of American non-commissioned officers, early last August - went in to learn our Divisional sector, in Belgium, just below Ypres. While there we all had an opportunity to do anything our Allied instructors did so we thought we'd show them we were all set for any sort of war the Boche wanted to fight. Anyhow - we put on a little Yankee raid under the Lieutenant in charge of our party of 14. From my Regiment there were nine men who took part in the raid. It seems that this was the first successful raid that had been pulled off in some time - as we got some prisoners, a Prussian officer among them, and so went back to our outfits - the first New Yorkers to go over the top after the Hun.

By degrees a report of our little stunt floated up through Brigade, Divisional & Army Corps Headquarters - of the British 4th Army - under Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig and on to Belgian Staff H.Q. where 'tis said by suggestion of King Albert, authority came back authorizing the award of the Belgian occupation ribbon. Anyhow - down from Corps H.Q. came an order and the ribbons "by order of Field Marshall Haig" that the following named Americans be awarded the attached ribbons. So - we 14 (9 - 107th men) received them and I've been wearing mine - but it's getting a bit worn so I'm going to mail it home next time I write. It's packed away in tissue paper in my musette bag, I think. It's quite a pretty thing - a beautiful combination of red and blue - regulation size, and is to be worn, as a service ribbon on the right side of the coat breast, just above the upper pocket and below medals.

Later there's a British Military Medal coming to me - which I won at K----wel(?) Hill (or Mont K----l(?), as the papers call it) in the same show in which I earned recognition for recommendation for immediate commission. Of course the British "M.M." ranks far below the Yankee D.S.C. and the only reason I got it was because I carried on and lead my platoon through to our final objective after being ordered to the rear because of being slightly gassed with chlorine war gas. I didn't tell you about my getting the gas into my lungs at the time as I really didn't suffer much, except for being extremely susceptible to colds on the lungs (which I'm nearly over now) as I didn't know how I would come out & didn't want anyone to worry at home - and - I really felt all right at the time - my platoon had no officers & my men really needed more right then than ever before, so - shucks! it was simply ordinary duty - and - that's what I volunteered for, back in 1914. Wouldn't have been gassed in the first place but little Smitty got his leg hurt on outpost, I went to visit him and found him unable to walk so had to carry him in. Funny part is we went over the top for nearly 100 yards - poor little Smitty on my shoulder cussing his leg and saying I'd get my back full of machine gun bullets for bothering with him just before we jumped off. Then - just before we reached a bit of our trenches a chlorine gas shell exploded to the windward so I laid little "Smitty" down & put on his gas mask, and before I could get around to get mine on I got some of the stuff - but Smitty didn't get any, finally got his leg dressed and - by George - was back with us from the hospital before we went to the Cumbrai(?) front. So you see - the Belgian ribbon wasn't much and I can't see anything wonderful about either that or the other stunt to have anything mentioned in orders and rewarded for. The commission is the only thing I am proud of, really truly - as that was not only a reward for something I had done - but a tribute from my superiors that made it plain enough that they considered me good enough to wear the bars of an officer - and - bars earned in action. So - of my commission I am proud but the others - shucks - some men have received these, and far greater decorations for far less and others have been real heroes, honest - to God heroes, I mean - not ordinary fighters! I'm simply a fighter & leader - and - please don't get the idea that your nephew considers himself a hero or even a near hero! Hell No! Please correct anyone's impression about being decorated personally by King Albert, as it was simply suggested by His Majesty and came down in orders in an ordinary sort of way!

Seems you haven't been writing me very much of late! Gee! What neglect! Ha! Ha! So you were rereading my letter about our banquet several times! Well - a man does get enthusiasm in the war game. War is simply a weeding out process that classifies men into three general classes. The one, men glum, morose and despondent - low in morale - lacking the courage & will to smile and enjoy the things of a day's work at the front; the second - the chap who is afraid up there on the line, and - drowns his worries in either booze or hollow, untrue boastings when out; and the third - the most usual and generally typical Yank type - the sportsman - who loves the society of pals with guts, who fights the shows through as he would play a game in athletics, play a trout, stalk a deer or court a girl - fair & clean - thorough - courageous, cool & easy of mind! Such is the type a man mixes with after he's passed the test of fire and made good - and - it's good to be alive with such chaps as pals. And - as for enthusiasm, esprit de corps and team-work - that made our men & our leaders a victorious force.

Who could get shell shocked - dull - colorless in such an environment, of red-blooded, enthusiastic men! N'est-ce pas?

I don't believe I grasp your meaning about America's coldness to our President? Must he be another unappreciated Lincoln? And - doesn't America believe in him - entirely and absolutely - as the A.E.F. does? Does America mean to say that she can fall behind her boys & men overseas in supporting him? The A.E.F. has absolute confidence in President Wilson and - we couldn't even imagine questioning our President or doubting him - any more than we would General Pershing or Marshalls Foch and Haig!  I don't get the idea at all! Guess I've been away from the American mind (the old American mind) too long!

Oh! Oui! I surely will call when on my way home. We will undoubtably be mustered out in Penna. after a parade in Phila. and I will surely call on you, my friends of the old 107th, the Weavers, and - it is at least possible for you to arrange for me to meet your friend Miss Caroline at the time. Please don't mention it - but - Caroline is an especially attractive name anyhow! Does the young lady match the name?

Well - this is quite a long letter - but it will save my wasting the time telling you as much news when I get back so - what's the difference. Will close, as always

With much love, / Clyde

A couple more diary entries -

January 17, 1919, Frid. Rain.

Feel rotten - cramps in stomach. Drill & lectures in a.m. Exams in p.m. Dave got stewed. Spent evening with Sorenson. Marked some papers. Bed about 9.

January 18, 1919, Sat.

Insp. in a.m. Very good. Average of 84% in exams. Mighty good. Rec'd 26 letters today. Ans'd some!

January 19, 1919, Sun. Fine day.

Read - wrote letters & loafed all day. Bed early.

Letter to Aunt Nell -

19 January 1919.

Dear Aunt Nell -

Last night a batch of 25 letters came in - some of them dating back to last August. Among them was your long & extremely interesting letter of Sept. 22 addressed to Sergt. Bliss Co. M. 107th Inf.

You waxed sarcastic about my writing while at the front! Really now - couldn't you appreciate the value of a place, out in the sunlight (in the front line trenches) where a man can shave without being sniped. I have a mirror that you or someone gave me that did get sniped at however. I was shaving one morning - thought my head was below the parapet when a bullet cracked past my ear an went into the mirror, exactly on the level with my face. The bullet must have come from an angle - from a sniper who I later discovered in a tree and killed (same forenoon) - and he missed me by a few millimeters - thank gosh! I still have the mirror.

Your letter told me about Miss Whiting the most I'd ever known about her other than her name - and - I guess all my interest is sort of dampened, so - well if I don't meet her when I get in New York it'll be all the same to me. I expect she's not the sort of girl I'm keen about - and - is apparently getting less so all the time. Let's forget her as far as I'm concerned! Tell her I've lost all my hair & teeth & gone bow legged, or sumpin'! Ha! Ha! I hope, by the Gods, her brother did get drafted into the dough boys, however!

Oh! Please don't bother to write anything about "Dere Mabel".

[Dere Mable Love Letters of a Rookie by Edward Streeter. Frederick A. Stokes, [1918]. Streeter's first book and first in the Dear Mable series of letters written home by a barely-literate soldier in WWI.]

Why - bless your heart - I personally know Lt. Streeter the chap that wrote them and have read all of his stuff - long before it was published. Did you read his acct. of going on leave, in an officer's uniform, etc.? He's really original. Those stories you wrote me were written while we were back in Camp Wadsworth, So. Carolina.

Do you think you could keep some very confidential secrets? I haven't told Anna yet so you can figure how very secret it is! Ha! Ha! Well - it's simply this - now bear in mind I'm being very frank - and opening up my heart, a privilege that no one but you has been "honored" with as yet. My little Anna - pretty, sensible and Catholic - in the making the finest little house keeper and sportsman a chap could ask for; and I think rather seriously of getting married. She's perfectly willing and - a wee bit over anxious, I think. Now - she's rather inclined to evade the question of how we'll be married. I'm afraid she'll want a priest and - well, you know that'll simply send me up in the air and raise general hell and - I'd awfully like her to be a Protestant anyhow - so, when I get home - well, in a very few words I'm going to settle the whole thing - tout de suite one way or the other. Now - what's worrying me is am I too selfish to ask her to change her belief - or - would it - from a broad minded Protestant's point of view be perfectly OK to have a Catholic wife and let her carry on - believing her way? I'm not so narrow minded as not to think she's personally as good, etc. for being a Catholic - but someday - there might be kiddies and - I wouldn't want a youngster of mine to be brought up a Catholic. Now - what the devil(?) would you do? You've lots of brains & good sense. Please give me your impartial advice - from your point of view - taking into consideration both cases, all probabilities, etc. You see, I get all fussed up trying to think fairly on the subject - so don't bother with it at all. Let me hear from you - and - may your decisions show a lot of careful thought on the matter - more important to me than one might think.

And - by the way - if you have among your friends any YMCA enthusiasts which like the opinion of the "Y" by a man from the front tell them it would give me considerable pleasure to make a few statements, culled from the opinion of the Y from two of America's best fighting Divisions - the 27th (NY) and the 28th! And I will enjoy telling them about some real organizations such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross & K of C.!

No, I haven't had any papers from America from anyone - some last August. I guess the people that handle them back in the "safe and sane" S.O.S. sort them out and keep them - thinking the man at the front has no time to read anything but his 6 months old letter. Yes - I do hope you can arrange to get up to El Refugio this summer! I shall undoubtedly be there pretty much alone - with Grandma & Doris & Delia visiting me as much as they can - and entertaining old friends of the service - front line friends - volunteers. There are a lot of chaps I used to call my friends who want to give me a wide berth when I get home as I'm off all draftees and "bomb proofers" who hustled into some safe job. Your acct. of your train trip with those youngsters and can imagine your amusement - and - discomfort at such noisy (?).

Well - I guess this answers your long & very interesting letter. Write soon and for the love of Mike - often - remember that an army officer is the most isolated man in the world - and has a good many lonely evenings while his doughboys can enjoy each other's company, as ever

Your affectionate nephew.

Lieutenant Clyde Geo. Bliss

(112th Inf.) Intelligence Officer