Lt. Shamburger's Letter In Paper March 1, 1919

From the Pinehurst Outlook, March 1, 1919

Extracts from a Letter from Lt. Frank Shamburger, First Division, Army of Occupation

At last we are at our home in Germany. It took a long time to cross the Rhine but at last we have done it and before this thing is over some of us may see Berlin and if anybody goes there it will be the first division. We were the first in the line, and always in the line and the first to cross the Rhine.

We have been moving and fighting since the fifteenth of last January. This is why I have not written more often than I have, but now censorship regulations have been called off so I am going to give you a little dope.

After the Argonne drive we rested about two weeks and went back in again in front of Sedan. We went over the top one morning and had Sedan surrounded that night. Then we came out and let the French take it on account of the Boche beating them in 1870, when the Germans captured this town. It was a race between us and the French to see who could get there first, and we beat them to it but split the honors by letting them take the bird out of the trip.

This town was the last fight we were in. We were on our way out of the line on the 11^th of November when we heard the armistice had been signed, and much to our surprise firing stopped sharply at 11 o’clock all up and down the line. I saw many a happy face that morning but I believe I was the happiest man in the A.E.F.

When we came out of the line after the armistice had been signed we went to Bantheville, France, and it was from there that we started on our trip through Lorraine, Luxemburg and Germany. We left Bantheville on the 13^th of November and the 13^th of December we crossed the Rhine at Coblenz. November 18^th we billeted in Norroy-le-Sec. this was where we saw our first civilians who had been held prisoners during the war. The entire town turned out to meet us and in this town we had darned nice billets. This is where I slept in the bed the crown prince used while here. The following day we went to Lenningen, in Luxemburg. We stayed for eight days. Most of the time was spent in drilling and cleaning up preparing for the trip through Germany. During the eight days I visited the city of Luxemburg which is a very pretty place. Two of us went around to see the Dutchess, but General Pershing was there so we didn’t spend much time with the young lady.

The march into Germany started the next day. We crossed the Moselle into Germany proper at 11:25 a.m., December 1^st, billeted the first night in Tawern and the next day we passed through Triers. There were a good many Bouche soldiers here who had just been discharged from the army. The people didn’t seem to be the least pleased with an entire army passing through their town.

On December 13^th, we crossed the Rhine with bands playing and flags flying. That night was spent in Simmeran and the next day we came up to Gros Holback and from there we moved over here to Girod. I suppose this will be our resting place until peace is signed when we will got back through France on our way home. At least this is what I am hoping for.

We have hiked over 300 kilometers. It was a hard move of ten getting to our sleeping quarters; we would have to go around and find room for the company of 172 men; but I wouldn’t take anything for having come through this country, especially under these conditions. As much as all of us have learned from the war, I don’t believe it will mean more to us than what we have gotten from coming through here as we did. From what we have seen there is no doubt the Boches were completely licked. I can’t see how they lasted as long as they did. The civilians had nothing to eat and from their looks have had very little for the past two years.

Frank D. Shamburger, 1^st Lieut.

Co. A., 3^rd Machine Gun Bat., 1^st Div,

Army Occupation, Girod, Germany