in the middle of my right thigh. I was rushed to the hospital and had the bullet taken
out fast enough so my leg will not have to be amputated.
The recruits are still doing very well. We are all still here; some of us barely
hanging on though. All Thomas ever does is twitch in a corner and fire his gun in
battle. He really needs to be sent home but we are losing so many men that we need
to keep as many as possible.
The rumors we heard about Russia turned out to be true. The czar has fallen and
Russia has pulled out of the war. We are now being shipped to France to fight on
the western front. A lot of the men are excited about this because on our way we
might pass through the towns which they live in.
Smitty received a grim letter the other day. His whole family has passed away.
They got caught in the middle of some fire and didn�t know how to get out. He isn�t
taking the news very well. I hope he will pull through this.
On the bright side, I have grown about five inches and my equipment and uniform
is starting to fit me. I no longer feel like a kid from school but like a full grown man.
My birthday was last week and the troops planned a little surprise for me. They
some how managed to get a hold of a chicken and cooked it for my birthday dinner.
This was very enjoyable because the food the army gives us is very plain and very
minimal.
I really hope the war will end soon. I am dying to get home and see my mother
and my brothers. I still hope that they are doing alright.
Hans