Joe Lathrop

Era: World War I

Military Branch: Not Available

Marshall Wells Hardware Newsletter from WWI
To: Joe Lathrop
One begins to feel as though he had a little right to a commission in the army, after having a little experience at the front, added to a three months’ course at the school of fire, which I have recently finished.

They taught us about artillery that we have never dreamed existed. One feels like a “jack-of-all-trades” when he gets through. Outside of regular artillery firing, we have to know how to use, set up, and repair, wireless ground telegraphs and telephones. We had to know how to signal using flash, dig dugouts, take care of horses and men. We need to know how to detect gas, fire a machine gun, camoflauge, we needed to know locations of batteries. In other words, one feels like he must know everything.

It was all very interesting, even if we did have to work like the devil while we were there. I could see when I got there, how necessary it all was. I had the fortune to come out standing eighteenth in the school.

I have had a look at quite a large part of France, after being sent from one rest camp to another.
It is all most beautiful and I hope I can have the chance sometime when the war is over to see it all again.
I must now turn in for the night, as I have to leave for the forward observing post early in the morning. Please write back soon.