Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-09
us. EARNS GLORY
IN HILL 2O4 FIGHT
Americans Volunteer to
Man for Baptism of Fire
on Slopes
FIGHT LIKE VETERANS
French Give Unstinted Praise
to Pershing's Men for
Their Valor
FIGHT LIKE VETERANS
By EDWIN L. JAMES

Marne, July Q.
Youthful American soldiers. who
I volunteered for thestask, went with
the French against the Germans in
furious fighting for the possession of
, IL lo+' and covered themselves with
glory. When word came that the
French would use detachments of
hAmerlcans If they, wished to 60, these
ooys from the United States stepped
forward to a man. More than Ave
t,nes the needed number offered
themselves on the instant It is the
story of these lads that proves thai
me doom of the Kaiser lies in the
hearts of Americas soldiers.
Never before having faced the Hun.
virtually none of them having ever
oeen under fire. they leaped at the
Ncnance to come to grips It should
inspire America to know that among
tnose who stepped forward for this
nasty but noble task were youths but
rev months drafted. Not that they
stepped forth first-all stepped for
%aro together-but these drafted boys
showed nerve equal to that of the
more seasoned soldiers.
1t was a bloody and desperate fight
Ior that hill commanding Chateau.
Ihlerry. 1t stands just outside the
american sector. but all our soldiers
knew its Importance.
Detachments of our forces were
nearby, waiting for their chance,
some OF them were swimming in the
slivery Marine, where it winds it's
way through marquetry of the gold
OF ripening wheat, the red of glorious
popples and the green of growing
oatnelds. Others were catching base
oall on the banks of the war-famed
stream.
Jump at CaIl to Fight
Except for the booming of distant can
non the wars nasty face seemed very
tar away when, just before noon. the
"oru spread that if the Americans
wished to. they could -et into the French
snow A little later the call came. and
the companies were lined up and vol
unteers called for. One captain told me
that when he asked for thirty men $50
oHered themselves
The attack started Just after the
noon hour, and our boys were in its
midst. For their first fight they got
into the nastiest mix-up imaginable and
me the meanest boche tricks They found
what II was to go against hidden ma
chihe guns, camouflaged rapid-fire nests,
gas smells and the deafening roar of a
heavy barrage. They were shot at by
snipers hiding in trees, and they were
.shot at by big and little cannon with
a roar that deafened them, but they did
not falter. They went ahead with the
Irench veterans of many battle. They
took machine gun posts; they took
trench positions.
There was the case of Lieutenant
-. which shows the spirit of our men.
ne was leading his men when a Ger
man oullet got him through the shoul-
oer. lie was taken back to dressing
station, after which, with his arm in a
sung, ne returned and led his men until
the light was ended
Cut Paths With Bayonets
Our poys fought through woods that
We're almosr impregnable. where bayo-
nets were sometimes used to cut paths.
and all in the face of German machine
guns cleverly concealed
Inc eff1cient resistance of the Ger
mans was due in part to their new
stunt or climbing into the tops of trees
during the artillery bombardment. The
uick OF hiding in holes in the ground
10 escape shellfire is old as this war
put the boche yesterday tried success
fully the trick of climbing into high
trees, where he was almost safe from
shells exploding on the ground. When
the French and Americans advanced
through the supposedly clear woods thew
suffered from these boches.
An american lad saw German ma
chine-gunner in a tree kill several
Frenchnlen. He threw all his hand
grenades without success. Then this lad
Climbed the tree and with his bayonet
killed the boche and threw the body
to the ground
All in all. nothing could be better
than the behavior of these boys. Re-
member. 1t was their first fight. and
they stuck 1t out.
IN trese same woods, fighting for these
same hills. other volunteer soldiers tooa.
part on the night of July !, while
their comrades to the left were cap
turing Vaux and the Boise de La Roche,
The American soldiers and officers were
so modest about it that the American n
headquarters did not know of the ex-
ploits of these men serving with the
French until the French commanders
reported 1t. On July the French
colonel who had led ,the attack on the
night OF July sent a letter to the Amer
lean general in which he said:
From the beginning of the attack
the American detachments were marked
by their ardor, their bravery and their
enthusiasm. In spite of the firing of the
enemy's heavy and light machine guns,
trench mortars and rifemen placed in
the Trees these men bravely threw them |
selves upon their adversaries, Fierce
hand-to-hand contests Immediately took
place in the thick and almost impreg-
nao!e woods. Each man sought. during
all the operation. to arouse the enthusi- |
asm ana admiration of his French COM
rades by his magnificent behavior.
A Lieutenant's Bravery
Lieutenant Shenkel especially dis
tnguished himself during this combat, |
making great impression, on his own |
troops and on our soldiers. Led on
by his ardor. with seven men, the lieu |
tenant found himself surrounded on all |
sides. This detachment cut its way |
through by using the butts of their |
rihes and bayonets on the enemy's ranks, |
and succeeded in rejoining their com
rades, Lieutenant Shepkel himself kill |
ing with pistol shot German officer |
The attitude of all the American |
ranks. especially the noncommissioned |
oficers. was also noticeable. OF the |
six noncommissioned officers participant
ing in the attack, five have fallen giori-
ously killed or wounded All officers, |
noncommissioned officers and privates |
were superb in their enthusiasm and |
courage. / would appreciate it very |
much II you would bring the knowledge |
OF your regiment the splendid conduct
of your men. who fought for the first
time with us, and let everybody know
that with such admirable soldiers as
yours and ours the defeat of the Ger
mans is certain in the near future"
The French general under whom
Americans fought. sent this message to
the American general:
II join with all my heart in the sem
timsnt of admiration which Colonel
- expressed for the valiant troops
which have lust given to ours