Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-17
APREMOAT BOYS PERFORM
MANY DEEDS OF HERO|sM
Make Biggest American Advance in
France During Six Days and
Nights OF Battle.
GAIN EIGHTEEN KILOMETRES
New England Divisions Proud Rec
ord at Observation-Disclosures Tell
Why Some Citations Cannot BE
Delivered.
ny GEORGE il. SELDES.
Especial Correspondent With the Amer

special pride. The one made good first.
The other took Bellcau Woods and
ended an Empcror's ambitions. y divi-
sion which had never before seen n
day OF lighting fought gloriously in
the center Of tho scissors Chateau
Thierry line. y fourth blocked the
road to Chalons one day and few
weeks later crossed the OurcQ
But proudest OF all is the division
which long ago trained on the CheEiln-
dcs- Damcs. later in Lorraine. pivotea
| tho whole Franco merican counter
offensive at hill 204 and Bclleau
Woods. which they Inherited from the
men who caused its name 10 be
changed to Marine Brigade Woods.
and then fought six days and six
nights. without sleep. without rest,
brcathlessly forward eighteen kilomet-
ers. the longest American advance in
the war.
And of this division the Aprcmont
boys are the proudest
ljcllcau town was their first obiec-
tive the morning of the great attack.
| Givry was their last objective FOR the
day; Both were won in magnificent
dnshcs into machinc-gun nests and UNI
der concentrated fire. Yourselves
woods, Trugny, lie Ferc woods. all the
way to Jaulgonne and Epieds and the
ldfuthOiS ROAD inc division
pushed and hammered ana cut its way
( with bullet and blade. and every day
the boys who were so signally honorcd
for the fight At Apremont fought ten
Agreements. got little food for them
selves and a lot Of food for their guns
/ and fought ten Agreements the next
day. fought and gave their blood and
took their toll and went on, suffering
and rejoicing and victorious.
1t was the kind Of fighting In which
an ordinary soldier. no matter how
soldier. exhausts himself in 4 day.
| The attack. over the top. tho break
! through the enemy's line of resist
ance. and nerves and hand and heart
are shaken for the moment. Each fol-
towing hour of the shell storm, the
sweat and the cxertion. multiplies the
strain. And set these lads from the
England. from Northampton and North
Adams from Greenfield aud from the
cities, Springfield and Boston, fought
II out. day by day. night. red with tho
! heilirc OF the guns Of both sides. until
the sun had set on their sixth success
Sive advance. They came out sober
faced and SO tired they could sleep by
the side Of 4 howitzcr. But they were
proud soldier
When s-w them again yesterday.
these young veterans, they were happy,
carefree. laughing and singing in the
woods as II on II picnic. l'adre Dcs-
Evans, Jr.. philadelphmn. who has
taken the place Of Chaplain Banker,
the first chaplai TO give his life IN
France, were going from company to
company handing out the citations.
One hundred and nifty OF the regiment
have received them for their noble and
Therry
SOLDIER SACRIFICED
LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND
Some OF the citations could not be
delivered, Chaplains Desvalles and
Evans told me why. In one noble in
CT tn M n n find To mt ,1.aI
and unable to get him back under the
Are, and fearing another hi, would
mean death. shielded the wounded man
with his own body. 1t was sacrifice
OF safety which became n sacrifice OF
life. The body which was the shield
man recovered in - hospital.
Many times during the advance"
said Chaplain Evans. I'VE We're held uD
by machine gun fire. and many times
some som of our our boys voluntarily rushed
themselves TO draw the fire while
their. comrades were slealthily ont
ners Many m su Wbo '"v TolunesreI IS Eur
wounded. Some are dead They laid
down their lives for their friends.
Greater love hath no man"
RUNNERS PROVE THEMSELVES
THE BtAVEsT OF THE BRAVE
The bravest OF the brave were the
runners. according to Captain George
5. Penny Of Springfield. who is the
was almost sure death TO 20 into the
Bclleau wheat fields. The German ma
mounted on trees, enfiladed every path
and every possible approach. The she'll
fire had cut every wire. There was no
way OF communication except by run
ner. and the regiment had To go for
ward.
81 had to send three runners with
each message, hoping that one would !
get through without wound | tell
YOU ii would move the heart OF hell TO
hear these hoys say, Yes. SIR and start |
out for the front"
An act that particularly Impressed |
Captain Penny is that OF Sergeant John |
r: Regain. of Boston. born at tho foot
live. Sergeant Regain found his broth
er, Corporal Charles j., OF n thirty
seven machine-gun company left be-
hind in charge OF some horses NO |
tight--thcyll think I'm playing favor |
ties, said the sergeant. and he ordered |
his brother into the fight The com
nany did excellent work I'm blasting out |
the German machine gun nests and the |
brothers. says Captain Penny, arc
equally worthy OF it's honors
company, every member of which /
comes from Springfield. is particularly |
proud of one of its licutcnants, james |
G IaiyerJ im Whom they call Hair
mond." or The Bayonct Lieutenant" |
These nickramcs, which express so |
much admira ton. are well founded. for
ne has had thrilling time Of il in |
the big days.
Lieutenant Rivers rifle in hand. led |
his men over the ton the morning Of /
the offensive. He himself shot two |
Germans dead. The company stormcd |
four or five machine gun nests and |
captured nine Of the weapons The |
Rivers was up hill 100, and i'm this
attack he was nicked in the knee by ,
q snipcr's bullet.
But | wasn't damaged" he said /
when he recount ed the incident M,
lie went after the snpcr alone
rushed him with the bayonet and pinned !
the German to the ground with it,
and although his mon were too busy
at the time to stop and cheer him.
they Will never forget his rush with
the bayonet that day. Lieutenant VIII
liam III. stiles. OF tho same company,
who was wounded in the same action,
has now returned to his unit with
several OF the mon who were in the
show" on hill 100 and the succeed
Ing tlaES thal the old faMilv L. |