Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-13
First Hike of American
Troops to the Trenches
low. it's eternal drills and stringent
regulations and get away to the

low. it's eternal drills and stringent
regulations and get away to the
trenches.
Wheeled traffic was having a very
bad time of it, The road was very
narrow and deep bitches with slush
or a mule stumbled, or SHE'D a little
to the left or right, the vehicle which
It drew went off the road and fell into
the mud:- At intervals on the route
four-mule teams could be seen wal
lowing In the bitches, with squads de-
tached from the companies busily en-
gagged in the job of clearing up the
mess, hauling out the animals and
gathering up the supplies which were
strewn over the muddy waste of field
n roadway. The marching dough-
boys laughed at these mishaps, twitted
the drivers and the fatigue parties
which were called on to give assist
ance. Only once was there no humor
seer In a mishap, and that was when
an ambulating field kitchen fell into
the wallow. The men looked at it
with glum faces.
Tough luck on the company that's
gofn' to grub out that layout" said
a man, who afterwards swore whole
was his; own platforms field kitchen
that met the mishap.
A song was started when the men
were a mile out from Mud-wallow,
and the song vas an Bic venerable
one, which had kept time with the
marching feet of the doughboys in
many corners Of the world:
1.-THE Infantry. the Infantry, with the
dirt behind their ears!
The Infantry, the Infantry, they
can't get any beers!
The Cavalry, Artillery and blooming
Engineers. =
| They couldn't lick the Infantry in a
hundred thousand years."
The march went on with intervals
of 10 minutes rest at the end Of each
hour. The people of the homes which
lined the roadway, the farm workers
and natives of villages came out and
watched the long struggling columns
pass by on their way to war. Ills won't
aux trenches" said the %onlookers,
and marveled a little that men should
foot it in such weather. French
troops generally move on trucks now
adays when the distance to be cover
ed exceeds 20 or 80 miles.
When the halt for dinner came
round Thu men Topped YEARLY on the
roadway. Ten miles had been cover
co, more IMAM nalI the DAYS journey.
Dinner was provided from the field
ranges. which, in most cases, had
managed to keep pace with the
marching men. One platoon alone was
without it's food and the kitchen Of
that platoon was far back by the
roadside, with the fatigue parties do
ing their best to haul it out of a ditch.
But the luckless platoon did not go
without its grub. Other platoons
came to its assistance and handed a
portion of their food over to the
hungry doughboys.
Dinner always bucks up the morale
of men, and when the march was re-
sumed their SPIRITS rose to a high al
titude. Songs ran through the air,
and one platoon We'd with another in
giving utterance to their hilarity in
rag time. Slippery roads and blister
ed heels did not matter. America,
out on the Big Job, was going forth
to the undertaking with Joy. Blistered
heels I'M soggy clothing did not mat
ter. These drawbacks had to be en-
dured. the honor and grit of the new
republic had to be maintained. And
the men were going to maintain it.