Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-07
THREE YANKEES
GIVE VILLAGES
THRILL Of LIFE
(AssocIated Press Correspondence \


with the American Forces il
France, Oct. l5.-It was three Amer
lean privates who gave the French
civilians of the German occupied vii
,lage of Thiaucourt the greatest thrill
OF their lives. For four years they haC
been waiting-and then the Amerl
cans came.
When the thre privates-an fdyance
guard of swarms of other Americans
in their wake--swung into the war
torn village of Thiaucourt not q sou
was in the streets. But within few
minutes news spread among the sever
hundred civilians that the Americans
were there and men and women anG
children came in droves from cellars
where they had been hiding in terror
for two days and nights. And from
other cellars an dugouts there came
six hundred German soldiers who were
delighted with the idea of giving up.
The offensive of the first American
army, which wiped out the St. Mihiel
salient, began on a Thursday morning
ami it was Saturday afternoon when
the weary Americans reached Thiau-
court hungry and fatisued from fast
walking in their eagerness to keep
pace with the fleeing Germans.
AS the Americans poured into the
village and the French realized more
and more that again Thiaucourt had
come into her own men stood in the
streets ana cried openly and women
sat about on doorsteps and bits of
wrec kage. caused by shells and wept
until near exhaustion. And in the con-
flsian the children cheered but even
some Of them, the older ones realizing
what it all meant, cried too and kissed
the hands of the officers and mon.
What food they had on hand the
French turned over to the Americans
the villagers insisting upon the Ameri-
cans taking all they wanted of what
they had. So in the streets and in the
houses, some of them occupied only a
few hours previously by German Off
GERS and men, the Americans made
themselves at home, for a short
breathing spell, and the French popu g..
luton of the village endeavored to sat
isfy the appetites of their deliverers.
From the time the Germans reached
Thiaucourt in September. 1914, until
few days after the village had been
retaken by American troops the civil.
ians were entirely without fresh meat
and any kind excepting now and then
a chicken or q rabbit which were
raised in cellars without the knowl-
edge Of the Germans. All the cattle
in the region of Thiacourt were taken
by the Germans, but two cows being
LETT to furnish milk for babies.
Until the United States entered the
war food was sent to Thiaucourt by
way of the Netherlands by the Ameri-
can relief committee and later by a
Spanish relief committee. This consist
ed principally Of bacon, flour, sugar,
rice, beans, peas and some cocoa. Two
boxes of condensed milk were received
in Thiaucourt each month and now
and then shipment of salt meat
Twice several boxes of American shoes
arrived for the inhabitants and at long
intervals there were small shipments
of clothing.
During the four years occupation
by the Germans none of the civilians
was allowed to leave the town. How
ever, on one or two occasions individ-
uals were permitted to visit nearby
village to attend the funeral of rela-
tives, accompanied by a soldier
guard.