The independent-reporter., 1918-10-10


were falling about them nearly all
the time Here Joseph Boldue. the
first man in the company TO be
wounded by hostile fire was hit in
the leg by a shell fragment This
took him ont Of the company for t#o
months. but he ultimately recovered
and rejoined his comrades At the
/ time he was wounded, Boduc vas
with wiring party in somewhat
exposed position 1t is to be noted
that he was the only man 10 be
wounded while the company wds at
this station. While here brigaded
with French troops. Co + took part
in patrol work ana in many excit-
ing and hazardous incidents To
have a correct understanding OF the
life of our boys at this point. il Will
be necessary to keep in mind hat
here the idea of training was c3r-
stantly uppermost. The higher Of
ticials did not wish to bring on m
necessarily major engagement They
did wish, however. to perfect the
men in getting in and out Of trenches
and in all other matters pertaining to
actual warfare Our boys. in spite
VI blit IlpIlNiIo VI fI IdI dtlOi. 6tIH
somewhat new to the war game but
fortunately were mixed up with vet
Grams of the French army. Our
Americans at first wanted to rush out
10 see where the German shells were
falling, and in this way often un-
necessarily exposed themselves to
dangers Time. and the counsel Of
the seasoned French troops have
taught them lessons in that respect.
They now have judgment in such
matters, and caution that would do
credit to an American Indian Dur
ing these days of intensive prepara-
ton, oftentimes the French would
show their comradeship and guard
ian care for the Americans Their
trained ears would recognize much
more quickly than our American
boys the coming of a German shell.
and they would jump from their po-
ston, grab the American boy by the
arms and drag him down stairs into
the dugout The American would
sometimes resent this treatment. but
soon learned to regard it gratefully
as mark of eomradship and es-
teen from his French brother-in-
arms
After two months in and out Of the
trenches in this sector, our boys
were taken back. for seven days
/ rest, to the town in the central part
of France where they were first
billeted. They then returned to a
new sector of the battle front. ready
for service as trained troops. there
to attack or to defend as circum-
stances should demand They were
not kept at the same point cOntinu-
ously. but transferred from sector
to sector as their presence seemed To
be needed in the war game
On the 18th of July, Tho morning
of the big offensive, Company f VAS
in the first attack waves This Of
fensive. as our readers all know. is
really still going on Throughout
this time, the men of Company
have showed a high spirit and a dis
regard of their own live during at
tack
Papers signed by General Edwards
and papers signed by the French
General, compliment the 26th division
(Of which Co + and the lo3rd regi-
ment are a part on their bravery
General Edwards said that when the
boys were tired out with the winter,
spring and summers work instead
of getting the rest they really need
ed they were thrown into battle
And they did not fight on the muscle
they had. but, as General Edwards
himself said in his order. 1T must
have been spirit alone which sus-
tanned the men-they always kept
brave, and always did their best"
1t has always been the policy of
the commanding officer and of the
enlisted men of Co. E 10 give the
drafted men as much show as they
themselves have been given as yolun-
teers. Drafted men in the company
have been made corporals. probably
sergeants by now. because they
showed they had it in them
The requirements in Company
today are mostly of Texas and Cali
fornia troops. It would be inter
esting to note that in these draft re-
placements of Co are strong
sturdy men, the average height of
the men in Co f now being > feet
in When these men come 10 at
tack the Germans. the Bo,che viii
certainly suffer from their rifle fire.
for these We~terners. while not mp
on the mechanism OF the modern rifle
are natural sharpshooters, and they
inherited killing accuracy from
rifle CARRYING ancestors In target
practice. they have proved very ae-
eurate from the start.
The above history is. of course. in
complete in many things not that
Sergeant Weston is not knowing 70
them but for the reason that their
publication might give valuable
points to the enemy II can be
noted however. that our boys have
seen. during this war game, points
very widely separated on the battle
front They were at one time we'll
over toward where the battle line
touches the Swiss border and AT still
another time they were way over
toward the West almost within hear
ing of the guns that have occasion
ally bombarded some of the English
channel ports
In June. 191S. members of Com
pany E were attacked hy Spanish in
1uenza (Which they called Crippel
ana we're treated as follows When
man began to sweat, blankets we're
piled on him, and he was not allowed
to throw them on The medical
treatment for these cases were as