Dear cousin Maeve, (History and Geography)
I heard the news about the Lusitania and how it sank on the seventh of May, and I know it happened near the other side of Ireland, how are the people reacting back home in Mayo? Also, how is Aunt Kathy? I, on the other hand, am not doing as well. I have news that makes me feel sick every time I think about it. Roger and I will be heading overseas to help France in the war. France has suffered lots of casualties from the Oise-Aisne campaign, along with the battle of Ypres-Lys, so Roger and I believe that any help is better than none. Our boat leaves next Monday from Boston and arrive at the Saint Nazaire port in France. We are not sure yet where we will be stationed, but I would assume we will start …show more content…
The gist of Trench Warfare is that both sides of the war dig trenches in the ground, hide in the trenches, and shoot at each other from the trenches. When digging our trench, we were told to not dig in a straight line, dig in more of a zig-zagging line. From what our captain said, this makes it harder for the enemy to invade our whole trench. Also, if one of their bombs land in our trench, only a section of the trench will blow up, not the whole thing. The space between our trenches is known as no-man’s land. Basically, it is the battle ground that is the most dangerous section. Few make it across alive, and it is filled with dead soldiers. Ew. Also, the living conditions of our trench is awful! Imagine, you go to the farm, and roll around in the pigsty, that is what is smells like. Picture this, you dig a hole in the ground, fill it with a foot of water, and stand in it, that is what it feels like. Lastly, try and imagine hearing gun fire every hour, every day, that is what it sounds like. The sounds of bombs and gunfire are starting to become a familiar voice that whispers to be at times where there is not even any battle going on. It also is the sound that keeps me up at night, every night, and every week. This is not a pleasant experience at all, I can not believe the conditions of this place, and do not even get me started on the rats that run around your feet all day! Anyways, I just wanted to fill you guys in on what has been going on, and that I am …show more content…
He is starting to act quite strange. He is developing weird ticks where whenever I say the word rat, he jumps in the air and begins to run in the other direction! Or if he finds an empty shell on the ground, he will tense up and nearly collapse! We are not sure what exactly the cause is, and no one seems to be able to help. I am not sure if this is a permanent, or temporary mark left on him from the war, but it is very scary either way. I am starting to become worried for my life. Will this happen to me? In my second letter to you from the trenches, I shared about my lack of sleep due to the sounds of bombs in my head. Has this paranoia started? I am asking other soldiers about their experience with the sounds, but none of them understand what I am explaining. No one seems to care about Roger and it seems there there is no help available. Has anyone in the family heard about this? Im beginning to wonder if Roger can even be cured, write back if anyone in town knows about this illness. In addition, please let Roger’s family know! They must be worried sick, but I do not want to make the pain of letting him go to the war any worse than it already it. So please do not make it seem as bad as I am describing
I heard the news about the Lusitania and how it sank on the seventh of May, and I know it happened near the other side of Ireland, how are the people reacting back home in Mayo? Also, how is Aunt Kathy? I, on the other hand, am not doing as well. I have news that makes me feel sick every time I think about it. Roger and I will be heading overseas to help France in the war. France has suffered lots of casualties from the Oise-Aisne campaign, along with the battle of Ypres-Lys, so Roger and I believe that any help is better than none. Our boat leaves next Monday from Boston and arrive at the Saint Nazaire port in France. We are not sure yet where we will be stationed, but I would assume we will start …show more content…
The gist of Trench Warfare is that both sides of the war dig trenches in the ground, hide in the trenches, and shoot at each other from the trenches. When digging our trench, we were told to not dig in a straight line, dig in more of a zig-zagging line. From what our captain said, this makes it harder for the enemy to invade our whole trench. Also, if one of their bombs land in our trench, only a section of the trench will blow up, not the whole thing. The space between our trenches is known as no-man’s land. Basically, it is the battle ground that is the most dangerous section. Few make it across alive, and it is filled with dead soldiers. Ew. Also, the living conditions of our trench is awful! Imagine, you go to the farm, and roll around in the pigsty, that is what is smells like. Picture this, you dig a hole in the ground, fill it with a foot of water, and stand in it, that is what it feels like. Lastly, try and imagine hearing gun fire every hour, every day, that is what it sounds like. The sounds of bombs and gunfire are starting to become a familiar voice that whispers to be at times where there is not even any battle going on. It also is the sound that keeps me up at night, every night, and every week. This is not a pleasant experience at all, I can not believe the conditions of this place, and do not even get me started on the rats that run around your feet all day! Anyways, I just wanted to fill you guys in on what has been going on, and that I am …show more content…
He is starting to act quite strange. He is developing weird ticks where whenever I say the word rat, he jumps in the air and begins to run in the other direction! Or if he finds an empty shell on the ground, he will tense up and nearly collapse! We are not sure what exactly the cause is, and no one seems to be able to help. I am not sure if this is a permanent, or temporary mark left on him from the war, but it is very scary either way. I am starting to become worried for my life. Will this happen to me? In my second letter to you from the trenches, I shared about my lack of sleep due to the sounds of bombs in my head. Has this paranoia started? I am asking other soldiers about their experience with the sounds, but none of them understand what I am explaining. No one seems to care about Roger and it seems there there is no help available. Has anyone in the family heard about this? Im beginning to wonder if Roger can even be cured, write back if anyone in town knows about this illness. In addition, please let Roger’s family know! They must be worried sick, but I do not want to make the pain of letting him go to the war any worse than it already it. So please do not make it seem as bad as I am describing