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CLAIR C. ROBERTS HAS YEARS FOREIGN SERVICE

Transcribed from the Altoona Mirror August 14, 1918

CLAIR C. ROBERTS HAS
YEARS FOREIGN SERVICE

Altoona Boy One of Earliest to Reach
French Soil With U. S.

                Clair C. Roberts, aged 26, son of Mrs.
Carrie S. Roberts of 209 East Walnut
avenue, has rounded out more than a
year’s service “over there” with Uncle
Sam’s forces, the soldier being in
France since June 13, 1917.
                Clair, according to a letter just re-
ceived by the mother, was commis-
sioned a second lieutenant on May 13.
                He has a record of four years service
in the army and is in his fifth year as
a member for the U. S. reserve. At the
time that was was declared he was in
the Sixteenth infantry.
                He writes that he has been in the
command of a platoon since May 26,
this year. “I have not had much time
to write you,” says the officer, “as I
am instructing in the use of the British
automatic rifle. I have a class to teach
every day.” He writes that he is now
training Company F, Three Hundred
and Twenty-eighth infantry.
                “I am glad to hear that the people
in the good old U. S. A. are responding
to the nations call. Our government
has so much to look after and so far
to come to do that that it is hard to
please everybody. The boys over here
know what they are doing and they are
doing their best. In all the trouble
they have been in they have given a
good account of themselves. Believe
me, I know. The only folk that really
knows are the boys in the trenches.
You can estimate in your mind what
it is like but you can’t come anything
near it. The soldiers laugh and have
a good time through it all.”
                Clair served on the Mexican border
with the regular army. Before enlisting
he was employed in the Juniata ma-
chine shop.
                At the time the accompanying
Photograph was taken he served in the Cavalry branch.

Keywords/Tags: Lieutenant Clair C. Roberts, Carrie S. Roberts, 16th Infantry, Sixteenth Infantry, WWI, Company F, Three Hundred and Twenty-eighth Infantry, 328th Infantry, Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania