[Page]we might light matches and candles right in the open. Many rockets and flares lit up the sky in the evening. We were happy and yet we were not altogether natu[r]al, feeling that it was only an armistice and any time some one might start firing again. That evening [Lieut.] Taylor suggested that we play bridge. he was the {only that} could play. So he taught us, includingLt. Dilworth, Lt. Sullivan (vet. corps) and myself. This game furnished pastime many an evening after this. About a week after the [a]rmistice we turned in all our horses and mules. They had been badly worn. Now we received fine newly arrived American stock. What a contrast with the mediocre and nondescript animals we had before! We had heavy draught, light draught, and fine riding horses now. We should have had them long ago. Orders were given to cl[ea]n up wagons, harness and all equipment. This was hard {too} do because of the rains and mud. Time began to drag and we wished they would take us home at once, but the transporting organization and machinery had to be reversed. Everything was geared to move forward only. The Division did not get home until April. [Page]
On Leave Early in December Dilworth and I were granted a [ten day] 10 leave to go to Nice on the Mediterranean. This was a glorious anticipation as well as realization. We went toToul by truck, to Paris by train and stayed overnight at the Hotel du Louvre. This was heavenly--to undress and sleep between sheet⟨s⟩ in a real and warm bed. We set our shoes and put tees outside of the door to have the mud of theLorr[ai]ne removed. In the morning ⟨we⟩ thought we looked slick with shined footgear, but at breakfast we saw many officers of the Paris army (those who fought the war far behind the lines) who were flawless in dress from head to foot, and we felt more like boys from the country. We boarded a P.L.M. (Paris, Lyons and Mediterranean) train. We stopped off at Marseilles and saw a show in which Gaby de Lys and Harry Pilcer were the main actors. We spent the night at a hotel and in the morning went on to Nice. On the train which was much crowded, we met a French Princess (she looked like a fine old grandmother) who, seeing that we were very tired, allowed us to sit in her state room. She told us that next week Pres. Wilson was Scheduled to stay at her sister's mansion in Paris (Princess Murat). Now we had something to talk about when we got back to our outfit. "We had hobnobbed with royalty" as Lt. Burch put it.[Page]We spent about five days at Nice. Nice was nice. Palms, flowers, and fruits were abundant. The first morning we had breakfast served in bed. We tried to make up for lost time in sleep. Outside of the hotel a serenader played and sang. When he struck "Santa Lucia" with all his might I had to get up and toss a franc to him. We visited Monaco and its museum, Monte Carlo, Meutone, and the Italian border. I, incidentally, had some dental work done which proved to be a bad job and I had to have done all over later.
Army of Occupation After we came back to the Bois de Creue we found our regiment had moved forward as a part of the Army of Occupation to Conflans and Briey which been occupied by the Germans. This is an iron region in the northeastern part of France near Luxemburg. Here our men had to clean out the villages. The Germans had kept horses on the first floor of houses while the men slept upstairs. Horse manure was hauled out by wagon load from these houses. The men grumbled at the dirty job of cleaning the enemies' mess.
⟨Santa Claus⟩ I had to supervise the distribution of rations to the soldiers located in small groups at about 10 different villages. Along came Christmas