The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-07-17

Ao~e
by comrade. while another took hin
by the arm and assisted him 'up &
hill A lieutenant stopped them ant
inquired as to the trouble. The sol
dier explained that he had been or
detailed service. had missed the train
ing and was "soft.' He insisted there
was nothing the matter with him ant
was left in the ranks.
The spirit of the boys was wonder
full. They knew thew were approach
ing the line and were eager to reacf
their destination. They did not know
however, the glory that awaited them
for they were to strike the enemy al
the point nearest Paris he had reach
ed and hurl him back across the his
toric Marine.
Visits Des Moines Boys.
The next day was with some oi
the Iowa troops just out Of the trench
es resting and some of them conva
lescing. There were two dozen ol
them, among them Carl Marshall, son
of Policeman George M. Marshall ol
Des Moines, and Pat Ryan, the newsy
whose station was at Olsen's corner
Sixth avenue and Locust street.
Another boy present was Clarence
Johnson, whose parents live at 1926
Sixth avenue, Council Bluffs. These
boys had recently been in a raid and
they were only slightly damaged
Young Marshall had thrilling ex
perience. With another Iowa boy
of the same name. Russell Marshall
not a relative, he was in listening
post in No Mans Land. Suddenly the
Germans, $50 feet away, attacked. A
grenade killed Russell Marshall
knocked Carl's helmet off and the
boches were on him. Backward he
went toward the United States trench
es. In warding off a blow from rifle
he suffered a severe bruise of the
left hand. The boche who gave it
was shot through the heart by Carl's
buddy from the trench. There were
fifty of the Germans. Twenty of
them got into our trench. not one OF
whom left it. The rest were driven
back. One of them hung over the
barbed wire and five more stretched
their length in No Mans Land. -Four
of our boys were killed. two severely
wounded and several slightly wound.
ed.
One of the chaps. whose name !
have forgotten, was brakeman and
ran with Conductor Finnicum on the
train between ,Des Moines and Spirit
Lake. He knew me. and everybody
else who made the lake trains during
the summer months.
Hoorav for Mayor Tom. -.
I gave them the late news from
home. When told them the results
of the city election young Marshall ex.
claimed: "Hurrah for Mayor Tom
Fairweather." Then we gossiped
about home news and home folk like
a pack OF old women. Occasionally
I would call them back to their ex.
periences on the battle line, but they
would soon break away and come
back to the home, folk. Did I know
So-and-So. and how was he. etc. They
told me how Gerald Rogers. another
Iowa boy. was shot through the leg,
and how he supported himself on one
leg. leaned against the side of the
his revolver.
"The raids are Just like a gang
fight" said Marshall "and the rock
cts that light up No Mans Land at
night remind me of the fireworks at
Riverview park" Marshall knows the
Worcester brothers of Des Moines.
He referred feelinglv to the death of
Captain McHenry.
Treacherous Boches.a
A
caught in corner Of No Mans Land.
They held up their hands and shout
ed "Kamerad." Four of our boys
went out to bring them in. One of
the boches had a small Mills bomb
concealed in his hand. AS our boys
approached he threw the bomb and
killed all four of them. The boys in
the trenches turned a machine gun
loose on them and they fell. They
were brought in. both wounded in the
legs. I saw the treacherous rascals
in hospital. cared for by Red Cross
nurses, convalescing. When they re-
cover we will feed them and finally
send them home to laugh at our so.
licitude for them.
Not one of these bows who was not
longing for the time when he would
return to the front Hard luck" was
the expression used when referring
to some fellow who must be sent
home. They took me to q corner
where Baltimore lad lay who had
lost leg. He was rapidly recovering
and expects to be sent home in a few
weeks.
Our Boys Wonderful.
Hard luck that you have to 60
home. old man." said one of the chaps
who is to return to the front in few
days.
eyes, responded the invalid: ut is
hard luck to have to go home. I want
ed to stay till the finish. Yet" he
continued, philosophically "I'm in luck
after all. ! offered my life and they
only got a leg"
Miraculous is the sprit of these
boys of ours. 1 have followed them
from the quiet of their peaceful
homes into the cantonments and
across the seas. I have watched their
demeanor as they first set foot on
foreign soil, gone with them into the
camp in the fields Of France and on
to the battle line. It's far cry from
the orange groves Of Florida or the
corn fields of Iowa to the bloody
trenches of France. It's a long dis
tance from the counter jumping job
in our villages and cities to the bomb
n rowiuu ioh of M Mans Land IT'S