The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota*

Byrl Sylvester describes the ambulance operation and battlefield sights

July 20, 1917

PAGE 94

Am glad to hear Edwin’s onions are being taken care of in good shape, that he is doing my old work of sweeping out at the Bank and also mowing the lawn, which must look very pretty right now. Many times have I thought of that fine car at home, etc., but am mighty glad I am here right now. Dad and Edwin must be regular drivers by this time. By the way, gas is one twenty-five a gallon here. Only the government sells it. A written permit is required so we must be very saving.
Ninety-eight men subject to draft at home. That’s more than I expected. Let me know who are the lucky ones. The ones I mean to be able to serve the old U. S. A. Above all things, do not take much stock in American newspaper head lines. It’s all fed up stuff.
You asked if I wanted anything sent here. Try to send over the NEWS and a magazine or two. Also try to send a carton or box of twenty packages of Camel cigarettes. These little luxuries will be greatly appreciated. Speak to Ben Rohweder (NOTE: Plainview druggist) about the cigarettes. He will get them for you. Then you can mail them to me. Be sure to state that I am a volunteer in the Ambulance service and am sure they will reach me all O. K. The letters will not come so often from this end for sometime as I expect to be very busy starting tomorrow again.
Love, Byrl.
July 20, 1917- (Byrl’s letters)

He Likes camp life on French Front.
Real Army Life is Pleasure to Byrl Sylvester who is With Ambulance Corps There
Says France is Beautiful Country
(NOTE: Letter dated June 17 is printed here.)
Mrs. G. F. Sylvester and daughter, Marion, left for Winona Tuesday morning to spend the day. They were joined by Mrs. Sylvester in the afternoon and returned home in the evening by Auto.
Letter
Friday July 20, 1917
(NOTE: An edited version of this letter appeared in the August 17 issue of the PLAINVIEW NEWS.)
"Somewhere in France"
Dear Friend Mr. Mack, (NOTE: Mr. Mack was the Plainview News’ editor)
Before leaving home in May you asked me to write concerning my work while a volunteer in the Ambulance Service. As I have now spent one week of real work on the firing line, I find there are many things which should be of interest.
Our section, which is No. sixty two, was very fortunate in being placed in a very important sector – once which I am sure you have read about in the newspapers at home, but which the censor will not allow me to name. We have twenty Fiat cars in the section – two men working on each car. Ten cars work or carry the wounded for twenty four hours, then the ten which are at rest are sent in. We are not allowed to carry lights on our cards – in fact, the large supply trucks and the various other cars do not carry lights. Dark rainy nights occur often, so that one must keep his eyes pealed or things are liable to be messed up. The reason for no lights is that the Boche planes could easily see us and note the conditions.
In this branch of the service many terrible sights come before us, but one soon learns not to get dizzy at the sight of blood, deep ragged wounds, and men in their last efforts to hang on to that which seems most dear. Sherman’s definition of war is way off when applied to the present conflict.
As our base is near an aviation camp, we have seen some very interesting air battles. The Boche’s fly high while the French fly low and very fast. From a distance it is hard to distinguish our planes from those of the enemy. One way to tell though is by the color of the smoke after the shell is broken. Boche shells give off black smoke, while the French shell leaves white puffs after the explosion.
Several of the towns around us have been shelled. The Boche get the range on

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* SOURCE: Manzow, Ron (compiler), "The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota - a collection of information taken from the Plainview News, other newspapers, letters, and diaries beginning in 1884": Plainview Area History Center, 40 4th St. S.W., Plainview, MN 55964. Compiled in 2001.

NOTE: from Ron Manzow, December 2001: "Feel free to reproduce the pages for anyone who wants a copy. It was compiled to be shared... All I ask is that they consider sending a check to the [Plainview Area] History Center to help us out. That should be enough."