HomeMy WebLinkAboutRE: Baba's letter home at the beginning of WW1
Mike Plane
From:Jesse Schuerman
Sent:Thursday, June 6, 2024 11:12
To:Matthew Long; Rachael Long
Cc:Jonathan Caton
Subject:RE: Baba's letter home at the beginning of WW1
One additional thing. His entire platoon was killed by Mustard Gas. It happened before we developed Gas
Masks. The only reason he survived is because he crawled out of the Trench before being asphyxiated. He lost
all of his hair never to return.
When asked to speak about the War he directed family to read All Quiet on the Western Front, to understand
what he went through. My family had deep respect for him.
Jesse Schuerman Reigning 3 Time City Chess Champion URA Staff Engineer City of Twin Falls
From: Matthew Long <mlong@tfid.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2024 11:07 AM
To: Rachael Long <rlong@tfid.org>
Cc: Jesse Schuerman <jschuerman@tfid.org>
Subject: RE: Baba's letter home at the beginning of WW1
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Got to love this man, could only imagine the deep shit he was actually in, but seeing the humor is 1 rate. WOW (Truly
a man among men)
From: Rachael Long <rlong@tfid.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2024 10:52 AM
To: Jesse Schuerman <jschuerman@tfid.org>; Jonathan Caton <jcaton@tfid.org>; Matthew Long <mlong@tfid.org>
Subject: RE: Baba's letter home at the beginning of WW1
Now I know where you get your sharp Witt from!! This made my day thank you for sharing
From: Jesse Schuerman <jschuerman@tfid.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2024 10:42 AM
To: Jonathan Caton <jcaton@tfid.org>; Matthew Long <mlong@tfid.org>; Rachael Long <rlong@tfid.org>
Subject: FW: Baba's letter home at the beginning of WW1
So this is my great grandfathers first Letter home. His name was Fred Hilliard.
Subject: Baba's letter home at the beginning of WW1
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I was one of the fellows who made the world safe for Democracy--what a crazy thing that was. I fought, & I fought--but I
had to go anyway. I was called in class A.... The next time I want to be in class B (be here when they go & be here when
they come back!
I remember when I registered. I went up to the desk and the man in charge was my milkman. He said, "What's your
name?" O said. "you know my name." He barked, "what's your name?" So I told him "August Childs." He said, "are you
an alien?" I said no, I feel fine. He asked me where I was I was born & I told him Pittsburg." Then he said, "when did you
first see the light of day?" I said, "When we moved to Philadelphia." He asked me how old I was & I told him 23 the first
of September." He said, "The first of Sept. you will be in France & that will be the last of August.
The day I went to camp I guess they didn't think I'd live long. The first fellow I saw wrote on my card flying Corps. I went
a little further & some fellow said, "Look what the wind blew in" and I said, "Wind nothing, the DRAFT's doing it.
On the second morning they put those clothes on me. What an outfit. As soon as you're in them you think you can fight
anybody. (They have two sizes...too small and tooo large.) The pants were so tight that you couldn't sit down. The
shoes were so large that I turned around three times and they didn't move. And what a raincoat they gave me. It
"strained" the rain. I passed an officer all dressed up with a funny belt and all that stuff and he said calling after me, "hey
you, didn't you notice my uniform?" I replied, "yes, but what are you kicking about--look what they gave me!"
Oh, it was really nice! Five below one morning and they called us out for underwear inspection. Talk about scenery--red
flannels, BVD's, all kinds. The union suit I had on would fit Tony Galento. The lieutenant called and lined us up and then
he told me to stand up. "I am sir," I replied--"this underwear makes me look like I'm sitting down." He got so mad that he
put me to digging ditches. A little later he passed me and said, "don't throw the dirt up here." I said "Where am I going to
throw it?" He said, dig another hole and put it there." Three days later we sailed for France. Marching down the pier I
had some more luck. I had a sergeant who stuttered and it took him so long to yell "Halt! that 27 of us marched
overboard. They pulled us out and lined us up on the pier and the Captain came by and said "Fall in" I replied, " I have
been in, Sir." I was on the boat 12 days. Seasick also for 12 days. Nothing going down, and everything going
up. Leaned over the rail all the time. In the middle of one of the best leans, the Captain rushed up and said, "what
company are you in?" I said, "none, I'm all by myself." He asked if the Brigadier was up yet and I replid, " if I swallowed it,
it's up." (the clink for me, talk about your dumb people) I said to one of the fellows "I guess we dropped anchor." He said,
" I knew we'd lose it, damn thing's been hanging out ever since we left New York."
Well, we landed in France. We were immediately sent to the trenches. The cannons started to roar and the shells to
pass. I was shaking with patriotism. I tried to hide behind a tree, but there weren't enough trees for the officers and
us. The Captain came around and said, "Five O'clock we go over the top." I said, "I'd like a furlough." He said, "haven't
you got any red blood in you?" I said, "YES, but I don't want to see it."
Five O'clock we went over the top. Ten thousand Germans came at us. The way they looked at me you'd think I was the
one who started the war. Our Captain yelled, "Fire at will, but I didn't know anyone by that name. I guess the fellow
behind me thought I was Will....he fired his gun and shot me in the excitement......
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