Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-15

and the Palm for His
Mother.
merry, attached to the -th Infantry,
for the following act of galiantry:
"At great peril to his life, on the
night Of June 3 1918, he Voluntarily
France, and brought back wounded
French soldier. who, having escaped
from his German captOrs, was unable.
to return to his own lines.
"As soon as an additional supply of
crosses is received from the War De-
partment. the cross for Lieut.. Flan-
merry will be forwarded.
by order of Gen. Pershing."
On July 10 the Franco-American
counter offensive from south of Sois-
treat from the Marine. Before his men
crossed Lieut.. Flannery rowed across
in boat, made sure of a safe landing,
then led. his men across, the first of
this American unit to begin the pur-
suit of the enemy. Stubborn fighting
and LIE Charmed Chateau, nest Of
eighteen German machine guns 1t was
near the scene Of this battle that
Flannery, in establishing liaison with
a new unit which had just come into
the battle, found it commanded by an
old friend, Capt. Archie Williams, also
Of Pittsburgh, and other Pittsburgh
friends, including Capt "Toots"
Wainwright.
In August. when Flannery crossed
over the battle with me, foot by foot,
both literally ana fguratively, the
Germans were at least twenty-five
kilometers farther to the north and
Flannery was in very happy mood.
He went along the road from Connigis
to Crezancy, shell pitted and camou-
naged, and when we came to the cha
teau at Crezancv Flannery's happi.
ness vanished.
Il buried my second lieutenant right
here IN the garden of this chateau"
AT Fossoy we were in his sector and
ne had many heroic tales to tell me.
How his runners were on duty every
hour of the battle: how Sergt. Sea-
graves fought 1c. three German machine
finally, strangled the third; how Sergt.
Henry Otto was buried by a shell up
TO MS neck, but dug himself out and
went back into the fight; how the en-
.gineers punt bridge under lombard
ment, and how his company crossed
under shell fire and airplane attack.
Then we crossed the river and be.
tween Mont st. Pere and Charteves
looked into the German position, and
along the bend Of the Marine, and the
north bank heights from which the
German artillery enfladed his old po-
sitlon And Flannery became fighting
mad again as he saw how strongly the
Germans had dominated his sector and
thought OF how many lives the Ger
mans had taken.
Il won't be sorry when We get back
into line again." he said.
Xxx
Jaulgonne way there was a dam in
the Marine and locks. where the Ger
mans had hidden, and further along
the bend miniature KENNEL hill
with quarters for officers fifty or sixty
feet underground, QUILTED with
French loot, sewing machines, pianos,
plenty of WINE. There were also many
German graves.
On the way back we crossed a pom
toon bridge. 1t bore sign: made in
Germany" and we stopped to ask the
officers who were constructing a par
allel bridge, why the inscription?
Because the bridge really was made
in Germany" replied the officer in
command. every bit of it, the boats.
the woodwork, the bolts, the ropes
were picked up by our men here along
the Maxine and just put together. The
next bridge is Made in America
affair.""
The captains second in command
came up and held a meeting with
Fiannery. You're the officer who
swan the Marine with a wounded
Frenchman," he began.
Good heavens" replied Flannery,
eff it continues to be like this I'll
be afraid to go home. That's all I
hear Wouldn't any one have done it
if he were in my place that day."
The new bridge was going up rap
idly and the American pile driver was
pounding away like barrage.
Meanwhile, over the German bridge
the American march of victory was
continuing northward.
Late that night we got back to the
piece of woods which Lieut.. Flannery
calls home just now, and where he
has shelter half to protect him
from the rain which has begun fall
ing copiously in August, and a
blanket to sleep on. His bedding roll
was scattered over Fossoy by Ger
man shell. We had fried meat, mash
ed potatoes and coffee for dinner,
nothing more. That was a feast for
men who had lived for days on cam
ned beef and bareback, and no one