Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-04
ONE MILLION VETERAN
AMERICANS IN FRANCE
This Huge Force Has Been Tried and
Tempered in Fire o.
Battle.
RANKED WITH VERY BEST
Many Soldiers Wear V-Shaped Ser
vice Stripes on Left ArIns-Somo
Equipped With French Cantecns.
Insignia OF Divisions.
ny DAMON RuNYoN.

Copyright. 1918. by Universal ServiccD
WITH THE AMERICAN FIRST
iiaes in France tonight and stretching
back behind that front. at the lighting
Will are hirouacing nearly LOCO, 900
American veterans.
This statement has no reference to
;ho total number of American soldiers
0hGns. which is over twice 1000
pcrcd by fire. desperate and confident
1t means what it says--vetcrans
for rmGT n IcnS,itnts one of the most
mas ever seen. They form the greatest
army OF experienced warriors America
has had since the COS.
II may be difficult for mothers md
fathers III America TO realize that the
ho%s 'heX saw leaving home and
hearth = little over year ago. wholly
unsonhisticated in the ways OF th,.
world today are classcd as crack bat
tie troops. But such is the case. They
nave served their apprenticeship on the
HELD. They have become historic in
the annals of the greatest war ever
fought They are master hands at the
game. ~
Half q dozen American divisions.
niaue up OF boys anG men who n few
snort months ago We're clerks, artisans.
sters. brokers. messenger boys. ball
PAYERS and newspaper men, are rated
by military experts and their enemies -
who ought to know--along with the
flower OF til" continental soldlery.
on. German who has fought against
nearly al allied crusaders. declared the
the Americans. hat the German vet
Grams would rather meet any troops
than the American First Division.
one marvelS AT the tenacity with
which the Americans arc rushing such
crude material forward. Closer ex-
animation discioses E-shaped service
least six months. frequently n year or
a year and a half Of service
WOUND STRIPES WORN
ON RIGHT ARM
other arm. Some have two. Then The
observer realizes thia is a division Of
american veterans Eoin- back in after
II has been rented back Of che lines.
carr new French cantcens indicates
ihai iney are other than recruits. This
ply OF American canteens is temper
arilr exhausted. so the who lose
their water bottles i'm battle are re
nttcd with the queer French con-
The. Frenchmcn generally use them
Tor wine. The division saw pass by
Vas the famous tdeleted by censor). !
IT'S Eood clothes were all worn out |
months since.
NEWEST DIVISIONS WEAR
DISTINCTIVE INSIGNIA |
Those most recently from the States |
Wear some insignia on their uniforms
diamond patch on the shoulder An |
other has Il wild cat.
The veteran divisions are taking up |
this practice to some extent but few |
divisions that have seen much service |.
arc called by ,nicknames. They are
known by numbers.
The Rainbow Division is never
called ANYTHING hut the ''Fortvsecond f" |
New EnEland's Twenty sixth insists !
upon tho nickname Yankee Division
some old divisions have changed en- I
,irely from their original personnel, /
"s for instance the Manhattan seventy /
NTH which is now made ND of men |
from Montana and Oregon rs we'll as !
New York. but remains in popular mind !
tn" big towns Own"
The replaccmcnts arc now given final /
hattie prcnarat'rr behind tho lines. |
The last few days have been sun I
shiny and pleasant. The country close /
to the front presented scenes ren,iriS- |
cent Of Upton. Dix and other training |
camps in the states.
RECRUITS INSTRUCTED
WITHIN SOUND OF GUNS
Recruits were being Instructed in
machine gunnery. and how. TO take
cover, by men who were themselves |
raw hands IL short time back. Between ,
breaks in their own gunfire practice |
the rockies could hear the rumble of !
their guns AT real YORK. Occasionally |
the clear sky. where shrapnel and |
shels were seeking hostile planes.
Around them they could see crosses !
marking the resting places of gallant |
soldiers. for generally a training field |
OF Il battalion has been fought over |
time and again.
Always there is rumbiinE past them |
procession Of troops, trucks. tanks
and ambuianccs.