[Page]and special heavy rations were issued with smokes and sweets. The ration car did not arrive until late in the day; consequently I had to work far into the night to deliver food for Xmas to scattered {the} detachments. It started to snow in the evening and my role as Santa Claus would have been perfect if I had had a sleigh instead of a small truck. It was close to midnight before I was through and ready for Merry Christmas. Christmas day was bleak, wet, and cheerless. There was little to remind one of the usual happiness of this day. We hadwhat was said to be a goose for dinner at the officer's mess, but it must have been an undernourished gosling because the portions were so small that the tongue ⟨almost⟩ failed to catch the taste of it.
Moving Back. "When are we going home" was the question constantly in the soldier's mind. Early in January 1919, we were relieved from the Army of Occupation and travelled back overland southward thru Conflans, Mars la Tour, Toul to Allain near Colombey-les-Belles. Here we were crowded into small villages sleeping in barns, hay lofts, sheepfolds, pigpens, and woodsheds. It became very cold for several weeks with considerable snow. Some of the men suffered considerably from cold with their two[Page]thin blankets. I attended a 10 day horse school at Commercy after which I was put in {charge a} rebellious supply detachment at Crepey. They were filled with rum and refused to clean up wagons and harnesses for a horse show and general inspection. I sent the ring leaders away on detached service after which the rest went to work with the hope of going home soon. I was a judge along with "Gommey" Dilworth, at the 109th Reg. Horse Show.
Relief One evening ⟨late in Feb.⟩ I was called to Headquarters and was given an order, sending me to theUniversity of Montpellier for four months. I could have shouted for joy. What a relief to get out of this mud and dirt and unpleasant driving of reluctant men to go to sunny Southern France to school. Now the war was really over for me. Early the next morning I left with bag and baggage for Paris, short five days there having dental work done, and, then took the P.L. and M. for Montpellier and the finest vacation I ever had or ever will have. During the four months at the University I took advantage of opportunities to travel over southern France (Avignon, Nimes, Arles, Aigues-Mortes, Bette, Beziers, Perpignan, Pyrenees, Spanish Border, Toulouse, Marseilles). I roomed with Lieut. Deim in a beautiful house with M. and Mme. Parrau[Page]on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean. I managed to get rid of all traces the effects of mustard gas. My cough disappeared. I cleaned up in general and again took on the ways of civilized living. I attended classes in French, International Law, and Botany. I was athletic officer of American School Detachment and coached track.Home
Home. The school closed on June 30th, Deim and I were ordered to report to St. Nazaire to embark for home, but we had ten days to get there. So we toured on the way. We visited Chamounix, climbed Mont Blanc part way, went to Paris, saw the Inter- Allied games (like the Olympics), then to Mont St. Michel, St. Malo, Nantes, Orleans, Tours, and thence to St. Nazaire. From here we were sent to Brest for a boat. We had to wait there until we were assigned to a boat ship. I waited over three weeks before I was assigned to the Northern Pacific. This fast boat brought us to New York in less than six days. During the sixteen months in France as a U.S. soldier I saw France at its worst-- when the war was almost lost, I did my bit which was far from sensational, and I saw France after the war far away from the battle front. I have no regrets for my experiences but I am thankful to be back unharmed in the happy U.S.A.