It was soon apparent that altho we had been spared the alternatives we still were not going to see Hoboken before Christmas. So we made ourselves comfortable and settled down to a long stay.
It was necessary to the maintenance of discipline and the morale of the army that drills should be continued, and as well as any recruit, we were once again schooled in the finesse of the salute, the art of the right face, and the strategy of shoulder arms. We engaged in manouvers to practice the lessons that we learned in the Argonne. And we passed in reviews before princes, generals, and congressmen. Time passed: not too quickly, but still it passed.
Christmas, 1918
Christmas was not the dreary day a Christmas away from home usually is. We had much for which to be thankful, and the intervening miles between Lanty and Home were no bar to those good wishes that came from our folks.
We celebrated, we ate, and we played Santa Claus. A tree was erected in the centre of the village and we passed out to the civilian population candy and biscuits and tobacco. The women and children and men sincerely appreciated our tokens, and happiness reigned.
The mess sergeant had an inspiration of genius and he served us with a truly Christmas dinner.
New Year's Day was red-lettered with another meal worthy of our mess sergeant's reputation. The holiday season was over and we entered upon the new year full of new hopes and ambitions.
Home
Not until February 9th was another move made. Then, en freight car, we journeyed to the Le Mans area, detraining at Poillé from whence we hiked to La Roches Farm, near Auvers-le-Hamon. April 15th we entrained at Sable for Brest, where we were quartered at Camp Pontazaine.