Sgt. Arthur G. Olson - The following interesting letter was received last week by Mrs. P. W. Olson from her son Arthur, who is a member of the Motor Transportation Corp in France. The letter is written from Marseilles and depicts vividly his strenuous duties since his arrival over there.
Dear Folks:
As the censorship has been lifted to some extent, I will tell you a little more where I have been and what I and what I have been doing since I have been in France.
We came over on the big ship that was sunk at the pier of Hoboken a short time ago. The America was the third largest ship afloat, I am told, so you can figure we had a good trip coming over. We landed June 19th at Brest. We marched about five miles, mostly up hill, to one of Napoleon's old prison barracks. We stayed at this camp for five days. Part of our company was driving trucks at the docks, half of the bunch working nights and the other half working days. I was working on the night shift when our orders came to move. Our lieutenant and top sergeant came down to the docks about 1o'clock rounded us up, and told us to return to camp, pack up and get ready to leave. At 3 o'clock we were lucky enough to get a couple of trucks to take us to the station. Our company was broken up, part of them going to Bordeaux, some of them staying at Brest, a few to St. Nazaire and the balance to Mehuna. I was in the bunch that went to Mehune. From Mehune we went to Camp Marmague, where we worked with engineers and ordinance. We worked on a cement mixer for over a week. We laid cement embankments for a big gun repair shop. The evening of July third we were moved in trucks to Foecy. Here we worked with the engineers tearing down barracks, moving and rebuilding. We also worked half a day in the ammunition sheds. About the ninth of July we were assigned a string of trucks to go on a convoy. We overhauled the trucks and did a little truck work. On the eleventh we packed up and started for Dejon with the trucks. We traveled about two hundred and ten miles. We were on the road three days and ten nights. It was a very good trip and we saw some very pretty scenery. The next day we turned in the trucks and left that night for St. Nazaire. The trip to St. Nazaire, on the train, took us two days. It is is much more tiresome riding on these French trains than driving a truck for the same length of time. The morning of the seventeenth we arrived at St. Nazaire and were taken in a couple of trucks to the camp where we met a bunch of the boys who were formerly in our company that left us at Brest. Among them were three of the fellows I had chummed around with in the states, in Camp Johnson, Camp Merritt and made several trips to New York together. Here we were again assigned to work with the engineers. Every place we went were put to work with the engineers. At this camp we sure did have to work. We built and repaired roads, loaded and unloaded gravel and dirt, and worked in the gravel pit and rock quarry. In fact, we did a little of most all kinds of work. About the first of August our detachment was again broken up, part of them going to Nantes and the remainder of us coming to Marseilles. The trip down here was surely a hard one. We left with three days' rations, were six days and five nights on the road. We had only one car to put our baggage in and to ride in ourselves. You can imagine how glad we were when we arrived here, which was 10:30 at night. We slept that night on the cement platform at the station. The next morning we were brought out to our present camp. I have worked in the office nearly ever since I have been here. My eyes have been bothering me quite a bit lately. The sergeant-major relieved me from the office work and gave me a job carrying orders to headquarters and return, a distance of about five miles. The work is going on as usual here and plenty of it. From the looks of things , it looks to me like we would be here two or three months. That is just a guess and hope it will not be that long, as I have seen all of France I want to see.
Arthur G. Olson 777837 - Cokeville Register January 4, 1919
George Essman, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Essman of Kemmerer, arrived in the city yesterday morning from Camp Funston, where he was mustered out of military service. George left here in July and almost got to France. He set sail a few days before the armistice, and was at sea three days when his boat suffered an accident, and was forced back to port. It was while the boat was returning to New York that the armistice was signed. Kemmerer Republican Friday, January 3, 1919
Soldier Returns to Glencoe
The many friends of John Carollo were surprised to see young man on his arrival from an eastern hospital last week. The young man arrived unheralded, and when he arrived at Glencoe, from which point he left, he was given an ovation. John has been in an eastern hospital undergoing treatment for five weeks prior to his return here.
Carollo was a member of the first draft contingent to leave Lincoln county, .September, 1917 H was sent to France in May. 1918, and saw much active fighting. It was in the battle on the Marne of July 19 last that he lost the first and little finger of his left hand. He has resumed his occupation as miner in the Glencoe mine. Kemmerer Republican Friday, January 3, 1919
Return of Wilson F. McDill
Mrs. T. F. Jones is in receipt of a telegram from her son-in-law, Wilson F. McDill stating that he had landed in New York and was on his way to Camp Mills.
Capt. McDill originally belonged to the Sprague Ambulance Co. from Salt Lake, but when he arrived overseas he was transferred to the 147th Amb. Co., and was Acting Major in charge of the base hospital at Rothambeau, France. Many Kemmerer people will remember McDill, who was the company doctor at Sublet and Cumberland, and also practiced at Big Piney. Kemmerer Camera Wednesday April 2, 1919
Attorney J. W. Sammon received word yesterday from his son, Lieut. W. B. Sammon at Fort Russell, stating that he is about to receive his discharge and probably will be home Sunday. He has been overseas. The Kemmerer Republican Friday May 16, 1919
E. J O'Connor was the happiest man Kemmerer yesterday. when his son, Eddie, returned from overseas with all that the term implies. Eddie and his father spent the day calling on old friends, telling of his 18 months spent over there with the famous 42d Rainbow division. . The Kemmerer Republican Friday May 16, 1919
Sgt. Arthur G. Olson arrived home Thursday morning after serving 14 months with the U. S. army in France. Mr. Olson was among the first to respond to the call for volunteers, having enlisted in the quartermasters department in December, 1917, and set sail for France June 8, 1918. While in France Arthur spnt most of his time driving army motor trucks, at which time he says he had some very exciting trips. He returned home looking fine and without scratch. Cokeville Register August 23, 1919
Leslie Plummer is one of the latest of the overseas soldiers to return to Cokeville and to civilian life, he having reached here early in the week from Fort D. A. Russell, where he received his discharge on the first of this month. He was attached to the 321st infantry in the 81st division and saw active service in some of the hottest fighting on the Verdun front, spending nine months on the other side.
When called to the colors in April, 1918, he was first sent to Camp Lewis, and from there to Camp Merritt, N.Y and from there to France in September, 1918. He has been in the States since last June. Cokeville Register October 11, 1919
James P. Reynolds, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Reynolds, returned Wednesday from service in the army, which has covered the time since he joined the colors at Bridgeport, Neb., in June, 1918. Mr. Reynolds was first sent to Camp Funston, Kan., where he remained a short time and was sent to Camp Johnson, Fla , where he was one of the instructors in a training school, which was established there. Later he was again shifted, this time to Camp Meiggs, at Washington, D. C, and here he was assigned to the Quartermasters Department in a clerical capacity. The last transfer was to Fort D. A. Russel, near Cheyenne, where he remained until mustered out on October 1.
Mr. Reynolds speaks highly of life in the army and appreciates the opportunity which he had of seeing so many parts of this country, but regrets that no chance was afforded to see overseas service. He is undecided as to his future plans, but states that he feels that he is entitled to a good rest and will make quite a visit with his parents before going to Nebraska, if he does not decide to locate here in Cokeville. Cokeville Register October 11, 1919
