Evening star., 1918-08-03
EXAMPLES OF GRIT
| 0NF|GKT|NG LINES
o. S. Officers and Men Per-
I form Heroic Deeds in
Face of Foe.
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.

fighting. went to the front line and
slept In q shell hole. The general want
ed to get personal experience Of the
dangers which his soldiers had to face.
He narrowly escaped with his own life.
Lieut.. William Robinson of Union
town. Pa. after the general had reach
ed the position at the forest OF De Fere,
started to lead his men to flank OBJ
6ervation post. where, in the moonlight.
he would be able to see the enemy's
counter attack. He became confused in
the wood. arrived at the designated
place late and found that the post had
been destroyed by shell just a minute
before he arrived.
Standing on ridge the general saw
the young officer, whom he knew, going
among his men. encouraging and cheer
ing them, when a shell suddenly burst
and the officer disappeared as il he had
vanished in the air.
"A party rushed to the spot. though
shells were crashing on all sides.
but no trace of the brave figure could
be found. He had been completely
.obliterated.
I'll sleep alone, with my thoughts
on this spot tonight. said the gen
eral, making himself heard above the
. din.
Bravery Of Pittsburgh Men.
In the same forest Lieut.. William
Allen of Pittsburgh distinguished
temporarily in the night it became
necessary to learn the location Of our
platoons, which, like bushmen, had
battled their way into the forest.
During the entire night Lieut.. Allen
threaded his way through the lurk-
ing shadows of the woods to ascer-
tain the positions of our men and the
positions of the enemy. At the first
touches Of dawn his report was ready,
and upon this was based the days at
enemy. Capt. W. R. Dunlap of Pitts
Phelps OF Oil City. Pa, We're the
field leaders through the days of open
such rapidity at the time Epieds. Cour
poll and Bouvardes were taken that
1t was necessary to call of the bar
rage to prevent their own men from
running into it
Out Of the recent days of fighting
another story has been pieced togeth-
er. 1t dates from the battling on
July 15 when the German onrush
started and engulfed several isolated
piatoons of Americans. 1t was their
were not looking for a fight The re-
turn of these scattered Americans.
uninstructed. uncomnanded and
knowing only that they were not 60
rivals any of the tales of the ancient
conQuerors.
Corp. Alva Martez of Glencoe. Pa,
with six men. was putting up barbec
wire south of the Marne opposite
Passy-Su--Marne. On quiet night
when a barraSe suddenly started. The
men dropped to the ground and when
the barraEe lifted found themselves
surrounded by Germans who had
crossed the river in the meantime.
Guess we'll have to fight. boys,
said Martez. Let US start it..
They made a rush and advanced
shooting toward where their own
headquarters had been up on the hill
side. For a couple of hours they
worked their way onward, still look
ing for the headquarters and dodging
German patrols every few minutes.
They finally ran into Sergt. Robert S.
half a dozen men with him. He join
cd forces with Martez. who relinquish-
ed the command The next American
stragEler they picked up said ne was
who had been captured by the Ger
mans. He added that two officers
were then leading in the prisoners
for the purpose of questioning theT.
We'll, let US see what We can 90
for them" said Corp. Martez.
With Private John j. Mullen OF
Philadelphia he returned and over
took the prisoners. who were march
Ing IN Single HE Will tAC oSi Lie>Ai
officers at either end
"Tou take the first and I'll take the
last" said Martez to Mullen TWO
rifles cracked and the officers dropped.
The Americans with their rescued
comrades then ran back to the others.
Squad Becomes Formidable.
midable size and belligerently started
to fight its way through the Germans
instead of making detours. Just be
fore daylight they Joined up with
another group OF SURVIVORS 9noe.
Ia. and hid in the Bois Deconde
throughout the day.
we need a rear guard to protect
US against SURPRISE" said Capt Nc
lean, when they resumed the journey
Martez and Mullen volunteered for
that duty and the party finally ar
rived at its own units after thirty
six hours of constant fighting.
professor of mathematics at the
University of Illinois, ran telephone
line within 500 meters, one-third OF
mile, Of the front line to point
where 1t was possible to see behind
the enemy position. Lieut.. Cornelius
Lombardi. former French ambulance
driver and formerly of the Pennsyl-
%ania state constabulary, urged that
on account Of his familiarity with the
ground around Fere-en-Tarde1ois he
be permitted to occupy the post OF
observer The telephone had been in
operation less than half an hour when
he discovered that the enemy was
massing for an attack He telephoned
seconds later a barrage dropped,
squelching the counter attack.
Particularly Difficult Task.
A. particularly difficult objective ne
cessitated that q portion Of our line
should advance to stone quarry TO
GUST the enemys machine gun en-
ed on a side by . farmhouse with
portholes cut !, in the thick walls.
Through rain of bullets quartet
Of Unfversity Of Wisconsin graduates
Lieut.. John 3. Roberts. sergs
William Frasier-went forward to
make observations.
they carried telescopes, levels and
even white paper. secured the data
desired and returned without
diers .were able to escape. Another
man in the same inexperienced outfit
was carried into dressing station
with one side Of his cheek laid open
by shell s"Gfve me q shot of sorne-
thing. he demanded of the bustling
surEeon. The latter injected tetanus
serum and placed the man outside to
wait for the ambulance to go to the
rear A few minutes later. when. he
started u load up the wounded, he
saw this man disappearing in the dis
tance, with "a rifie over his shoulder.
and returning to the front. This is
typical Of tho morale of our unit
The prisoners captured indicate that
the Germans are using their best
troops against the American out
fits. Identification has been made Of
members OF the Bavarian Royal
Guards, whose efficiency is always
Kept up by means Of skfmming the