The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-12-26
A N|NOT Marine IN
Many GREAT. BATTLES
Hildor Ellison Writes About the Bat
tie of the Arg0nne Forest Where
the Boche was Chased for IS
Miles

Otto Ellison, OF the Far store, mas
received an intensely interesting letter
from his brother, Hildor, who is the
son of Mr.. and Mrs. E. Ellison.
Hildor enlisted in the Marines in
April, 1917 after his return to Minot
from the Mexican border where he
saw service. He was sent to Nor
folk, Va, where he was in training
three months. He was given the
choice of service on the u. S. Penn
sylvania, or being sent to Quantico,
with an opportunity for early over
seas service, choosing the latter.
Hildor was attached to the 9Th Reg.
U. s. Marines on Oct. 81, 1917. His
division, the famous Second, partici-
pated in one of the most famous bat
Ties of the entire war. He was in
the Chateau Thierry fight, where the
Hun ,hordes for the first time were
turned back, just as they were about
to overrun all of France. The mar
ines bore the brunt of this battle and
won a great name. He was in the
Balleau Wood fight, one of the hottest
in the entire war. Readers will re-
member that the marines engaged the
famous Hun Red Guards in this bat
tie. In one of the regiments, thOus-
and marines engaged the Red Guards.
They fought hand to hand and it will
have to be admitted that the Huns
fought bravely. Only 26 out of the
1000 marines in this particular regi-
ment came out unscathed and it is
estimated that 1000 of the Red
Guards were slain.
Hildor was cited three time for
bravery and the colors of the Second
Division were decorated. The Regi-
mental colors were decorated so often
that they resembled valentine.
He fought on every front except
the Flanders front. He fought in the
Rheims. Scissors, St. Mihiel, Cham
pagne, Verdun, St. Dizier, La Fere and
he was in the thick of the battles of
Argonne forest and Sedan. The Sec
ond Division at present is with the Ar
my of occupation at Coblenz, Ger
many. Hildor has been in the ser
vice thirteen months and it is simply
a miracle that he is alive today after
all of his wonderful experiences. The
letter follows:
Luxembourg, Nov. 20, 1918.
Dear Brother:
How is everything with you these
happy days. ! am very much alive
these days and am on my way to the
Rhine to keep Fritz from pulling any
rough stuff. We have been right on
his heels and as soon as he pulls out
of a village we move in and take bill
lets and set out few of our guns
on outpost duty, always on the alert
r., u, hot
I am acting Top Sergeant on this
wonderful trip thru Belgium, Lux
emburg and to the Rhine and I do my
hiking on horseback, pretty soft, but
it is the first soft billet I have had
since came to France, thirteen
months ago.
They are dolling this division up
now like parade outfit, because they
were certainly rough looking bunch
Of warriors after emerging from over
xix straight months of campaigning,
in rain, mud and bitter cold, sleeping
in little, fox holes, half full of water
constantly on the move chasing Fritz
back to the Rhine.
They are decorating our Regimental
Colors this morning. / think we
have been cited ten times in orders,
both French and American, and get
the highest they have over here. Our
c0lors will look like valentine when
we get back.
Believe me the people think lot
of the Marines over here and l cer-
tainly am glad l enlisted in this out
fit. I was a wise old owl after all.
My name has gone into Regimental
Sxr1o
dandy billet in the Corps and ranks
with Top Sergeant and Sergeant Maj
or and carries an increase in pay of
about seventeen dollars.
Well, about this last fight, she was
sure tough one as the weather was
against us all the way and how we
ever endured the hardships is past
me. We would dig in at night and
the water would seep in and we would
lay and shiver all night and go over
the top in 'Hhe morning ait daybreak.
Some life, believe me, but we killed
more Boche and captured more artil-
lery than any front yet. We went
thirty five miles thru the Argonne for
est and it was sure some nasty place
to fight. h Many of the boys who were
not hit were evacuated for sickness.
We had Diarrohea in the worst form
and there were only few Of the hard
lest of us left at the 4nish.
Believe me, it was some happy
bunch when learned that the armistice
had been signed, we thot it was bull
and couldn't realize it till the shelling
ceased.
We were dug in in some woods near
the Meuse river and the night of the
armistice we all built camp fires and
sat around them all night, the first
time we had been warm for two weeks.
Believe me, it was happy bunch.
Then we learned that we would fol-
low up the Boche on the 18th, SO that
sent us raft of requirements and
we showed off.
Il in Belgium they received us with
nl,nn arms and alnlitAd MXixa liz N.