Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-12
HERO SENT HOME
IN SCANTY ATTIRE
Major Robert L. Denig
Mourns Loss of Clothes
and Souvenirs
IN EVERY BIG DRIVE
Wounded Philadelphia Re-
lates Some Horrors of War.
Praise for Lieutenants
IN EVERY BIG DRIVE
i've got no clothes to wear.

I've got no clothes to wear
This was the greeting Major Robert L.
Denig. Jr., veteran of every big Ameri-
can drive in France, gavt friends who
called to, see him this afternoon at his
home, 2131 Porter street.
Major Denig, invalided home because
of a wound in the left arm, arrived in
New York yesterday on the Kroonland.
and came TO Philadelphia last night.
back to the home he left sixteen months
ago to sail for France with the Fifth
Marines. When he arrived he had on
some OF the clothes he wore when he
went over.
In an old blue uniform he resurrected
from the attic today, heavy woolen socks
and pair of white shoes, and with n
pipe between his teeth, he sat back in
an easy chair and told a story to illus
trate his plight
Throws Away Toothbrush
A wounded marine, hobbling out of
Paris hospital on crutches to begin
his journey back to the United States.
had barely enough clothing to cover
him. He stopped just as he was about
to enter the ambulance when he learned
that he was wearing all the clothes he
was to take home. Pulling his tooth
brush from his hip pocket he exclaimed,
II don't want to be bothered with my
baggage" and tossed 1t into the street.
"I have lost everything" Major Denig
said, Clothes, souvenirs pictures every
thing that I wanted to keep"
AS he talked he kept moving the mus
cles of his left arm trying to work out
the stiffness left by the machine gun
bullet that put him out of action after
three hours of fighting on October
in the, Champagne section of the Ar
gonne drive. He can bend the arm only
a little more than half way. Two
months ago it was in an iron cast. The
bullet entered in the middle Of the
forearm and tore great hole where
1t came out, laying the bone bare. Only
the scars and the stiffness remain.
Although he sailed from the Navy
Yard here with the Fifth Marines, Ma
jor Denig has seen the most action in
command of a regular army battalion
with the Ninth regular infantry. He
was in charge of the Third Battalion OF
this regiment in the Second Division
when he was wounded.
Heavy Casualties in Champagne
The Second Division suffered perhaps
its heaviest casualties in the Champagne
sector.
There were about 5000 casualties
among the 1900 infantrymen who cap
tured Mont Blanc" Major Denig said.
The Ninth and the Twentythird
regulars, attacking just east of Somme-
Ply, and the Fourth Marine Brigade. at
lacking from Somme-Py, captured Mont
Blanc.
1.-THE Germans put on a wonderful
artillery show there" the major said
"They developed 1t quickly. too. We
had hardly got across the road before
| high explosive shells began TO fall on US
I One of my captains was killed abou
twenty feet from me. lost five officer.
and 240 men killed, and most Of then
| fell in those first three hours before
stopped a bullet.
I'VE had to go into this battle the
morning of October 3. We were draw
up in reserve behind the French on Sep
! tember 26, and the night Of October
, were ordered into position to attack.
"One sees little of the actual battle
What happens in the few yards at eacl
| Side is all one knows. The platoon com
manders-the lieutenants-do most o
the fighting. They have to decide hov
to meet the conditions on their littl
! 'front.'
Few Messages Delivered
Major Denig cited the fact that onl!
a few of the messages sent back from
the platoon commanders are ever de
livered as proof of this. o.
The major told of trap the Ger