Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-30
FAMOUS RAINBOW
DIVISION MEN ARE
PROUD Of RECORD
Sergeant From Kansas City
Reflects Spirit of Famous
Fight Organization in Letter
Home,

lsY MORNING JoURuAL sPsctHt BASED wIRgl
San Francisco, Calf, Dec. 29.-The
pride which the men of the famous
Rainbow division take in their organi-
cation is reflected in a letter from
France recently received here from
Sergeant Leslie H. Robinson of the
117th field battalion signal corps.
Robinson, who is a Kansas City news
paper man, writes in parts as follows:
Those of us who have been in itfor
so long can hardly realize it is fiji
ished 1t is hard to change within a
few hours from shells and bombs to
sunshine and joy. There is that ques.
tioning feeling around the heart OF
each of us: rs II really OVER" But
to see these French kick and sQueal
and throw hand grenades at each 9TH
er in their wild delirium of sudden
happiness you certainly are led to be-
lieve that something's is finished. OR
else getting n good start. AS you have
read in the newspapers. this division
has been in the line longer than any
other American division in France.
We went into the line near Luneville
in the middle Of February. There we
were under the command of the
French On April we moved to Bac-
carat where we took over an entire
divisional sector for ourkelves-the
first American division to do this. We
remained in this sector for thirteen
weeks and when we were relieved,
General Duport, under whose COM
mani we served, paid glowing trib-
ute 10 the valor and comradeship of
the men.
I'VE were relieved in this sector and
sent TO the Champagne. where we as
sisted the French in stopping the
Germans on July Is, 16 and II, in
what was to have been the start of
his hike to PHris. After piling the
Germans so high that you had to get
balloon to see over them, we were
sent TO the Chateau Thierry front.
There the division cut through sew
eral crack Prpssan guard divisions
and whipped the tar out of several
other of the enemy's best divisions.
We were in this fierce fighting longer
than any other division and pushed
greater distance toward the Rhine
than any other division on that sec
tor, Next we were sent down near St
Mihiel end we CAPTURED more villages
than any other division in the reduc-
ton of this salient. After organizing
this new front so other troops could
hold it, we were sent DIP west to Yer
dun.
"And it was here that the division
continued to show that it was the
best fighting division in France. The
doughhoys cracked the Kreimnilde
Stelling line At one of it's most diff
cult noints The hills were steep and
wooded and he machine gun fire was
something terrific. But the Rainbow
never grew dim. After the line had
been pierced We were transferred to-
another corps and nut on the trail of
the Hun and pushed him nineteen
kilometers until We had captured the
heights dominating Sedan Then the
division was relieved by the French,
as TO them should belong the glory
of ent ring the city which decided the
war Of 1870. And today that glori-
ous event is to take place, so ! am
told, with the flags of the allies lead
ing the bands Of many regiments and
the French soldiers dancing wildly in
their ncs acy.
1.-THE boys of the division are tired.
They have not had a relief and never
have been to any of the leave centers
where the soldiers are supposed to go
for rest. All of our time has been
devoted happily to our country and
we ieti That we nave uOTe more IMAM
any other division in Fastening the
end OF the conflict. Now that our
work over here is done, we are all
anxious to return home. We feel that
our record and our service entities us
the honor of being the first division
20 return.
1--WE enlisted because we were
orJmpted by patriotic motives. We
are mighty proud of our record. We
are prouder of our friends and we
arr especially proud of the fact that
we are representatives of the people OF
the United States. These professions
and businesses which were left behind
by the officers and men in this divi-
sion will need these officers and men
Immediately after the war. Therefore,
IN view of our record over here and
taking into consideration that the
home industries will need the mem
bers of the division at once, we feel
that we should and will be returned
home first. The reward for our sacri-
fices will be repaid If our division isl
given the honor of returning homel
first"