Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-01
South Bend Man Is Hero OF
Initial Action by the
Americans.
GEORGIAN GIVES THE ORDER
indiana Sergeant Pulls the Lanyard
Which Starts Pershino's Attack
on the kaiser's Armies
Americans All Eager
for Action.

American Field Headquarters In
France. Indiana and Georgia divide
the honor Of having inauguratcd Amer
ica's land warfare against The Tier
mans
A sergeant from South Bend. Ind,
pulled the lanyard to send the first
shell tearing across the valley in the
direction of The German positions.
A Georgia lieutenant gave the order
fire
The facts were established durin.
the first visit paid by u correspond
ent TO the first American battle front,
The correspondent reached III"
American position after long motor
ride through shel-battcrcd towns
Leaving The motor IN ono Of The towns
he walked the rest Of the way,
The first American battery was al
most walked upon before il was dis.
covered. II was 50 we'll hidden under
the trees and with foliage about il IN
= low.hung wire netting.
Gun OF 10 Colloer Ueed.
Through the foliage in every dircc-
ton the ground was undmlating. Al
that moment there was q fash of flame
through the mist. II was tho crack
pf a rs gun. and following it closely
rame the noise of the shell rushing
through the air. becoming fainter and
fainter as the projrctile went on it's
way to the German position over the
crest Of q hill farther away. The mud
digging artillcrlsts continued their
work without even looking up.
A lieutenant from Georgia emerged
lie was The officer who directed the
first shot. He lcd the way down the
slippery. muddy hill to dugont GOV.
cred over with sandbags and logs.
There was met n lieutenant from Indi
ana Of the same battery who directed
the first IS shots of the war against
Germany from an observation point
On the other side Of the hill was
found the first gun fred The muddy
gnnncrs were hard at work cleaning
their gun.
"This was the first gun fred in the
war" the jaunty lieutenant said. "'rhe
sergeant inside the pit there fired It,"
Looking into the pit. the lieutenant
said: Sergeant, where are you from?'
He's From South Bend.
A husky voice replied: I'm from
South Bend. Ind
Are you Irsh?" asked the lieuten.
mt.
mo. sir" the sergeant laughngly
replied
AT this time orders came for This
gun and others OF the battery placed
IN Dcarby hills in sight and sound Of
earh other 10 commence firing. The
gun on the farthcst Hill went or with
n roar and faint stream Of smoke
was blown backward from the pit.
Inside the pit IN which the CORE
spondcnt stood n voice shouted out
the range figures and the lieutenant
repeated them. 4 voice inside the pit
n moment later yelled that the gunner
was ready 90 fire. The lieutenant gave
thr command TO the gunncrs: watch
your bubble"
The lieutenant who was standing
on A pile Of mud which had been re-
moved lrom The pit cautioned tEJsc
about him Ia place their fingers in
their ears. This was done and tho
lieutenant shouted the word "t'ircl"
The gun harkcd quickly, lbe noise
being followed by n metallic clauk and
the shell case was elected aud the gtl'
made ready for the next load. The
lieutenant told the correspondent the
story Of the first shot of The war. pune
tuating The narrative throughout with
the orders ready to fire" and fire.
which each time was followed by The