The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-11-08
YANKS DIE With
FACES TO ENEMY.
Valiant Spirit of Fallen Men Is
Typified in Attitudes of
the Dead.
TROOPS EAGER FOR BATTLE
Ever Crouching Forward With Their
Faces Toward Germany, I'M
patient to Make World Safe
for Humanity.

Paris.-Chaplains of two Yankee
regiments that stormed the slope above
the Ouroq river came wearily back at
sundown from the task OF burying
their dead. They were two men spir-
itually uplifted and their eyes were
shining as they made their brief but
eloquent report.
"In all that battlefield" they said,
1--WE found, without q single exception,
that every one of those boys died
crouching forward"
That short dramatic story-a patri-
otto eulogy that was an epitaph for
American heroes--came first under my
eye when, after three weeks journey
of 1000 miles, reached Paris.
Faces Ever Eastward.
Stories of the valiant American
spirit are old. Yet the proud words of
the chaplains were tremendously Inn
pressive. They interpreted the spirit
of America on the fighting line in the
same terms as had seen IL among the
fresh troops In the convoy across the
Atlantic, in England, In the French
port and in the trip across France
troops yet to face the Hun.
Thousands were In that convoy. And
their faces were ever toward Germany.
They were grim faces of serious-mind-
ed, silent men during the tedious ocean
trip-silent. strangely. until actually
on French soil.
Then they 'rwent change. The
curtain of 5, unity seemed to lift.
The frown Of impatience at delay was
gone and, In contrast to the silence In
which they had received the homage
of British crowds, they sang rollicking
war songs, laughed and cracked jokes
and replied with Yankee roar to the
chorus of welcome French crowds gave
| them.
Their faces were away from the set
ting sun as they waited In the French
port for the trains to take them TO
France. Their eyes gazed longingly to
the east, and they eagerly strained for
ward as If to hear the far-off boom of
the guns.
Every one of these Yankee soldiers,
fresh from the homeland, was crouch
ing forward-as did the heroes the
chaplains told of-with their faces to.
ward Germany.
A complete division, commanded by
an American major general, disem
barked. And 1t was just one unit, one
convoy of the unending stream that
Uncle Sam is sending across.
chafe at Long Wait.
The only worry was whether II
would be long walt before 1t was
their turn "at bat" against the Hun.
Submarine rumors hadn't frightened
[ them on the way across the ocean
They had drilled daily, as best they
could In the eramped ships area. The,
had taken daily exercise to keep then
healthful and fit. And they had stood
guard, in turn, with eyes peeled" fol
subElarines-mostly hopeful that one
would urn up just for the delight OF
seeing an American destroyer bomb Il
out Of all usefulness.
There was boat drill daily on thu
| convoy; each man answered roll cal
In his allotted place beside lifeboat
And constantly, save In sleep, eacl
man had to wear a life preserves
strapped about his chest and back.
Now they're at the end Of the lonI
journey-in France along with a mil
lion and half fighting men from th'
United States. They're showing earl,
that great American spirit-crouchin,
forward, with their faces toward Ger
many, impatient to make the worl,
unsafe for Huns.
It's pity Kaiser Bill couldn't hav,
stood on the dock at that French por
when they landed-just to see them