Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-09-03

VI
avoid 1t" that the Germans often
did not await the approach Of this
band OF foreign devil dogs. "a legion
naire often sees the Boches running" 4"
said the corporal. II didn't know
whether it's our reputation or what.
but the Germans frequently won't
stand up against us when We go to
It with bayonets."
| II Is a marvellous thing the pride
with which a member Of the legion
speaks of his regiment. Unassuming
as he may be when his own exploits
come to the fore. he will talk for a
week of Sundays about the things that
Ihis regiment has done. The Germans
will talk OF the legions doings. too,
but with a signal lack Of enthusiasm.
/ From among a score Of desperate
fights. where often the Allied cause
hung quivering in the balance. the
Ilegion emerged with every man cheer
ing for his neighbor and wondering
how the deuce he himself ever got in
with such n superlative crowd.
"Yet sometimes you look at a man
who has just joined and you say:
| HIN! Wonder what HE did before
he came here"" Mouvet explained
with a smile and shrug. THAT was
mostly in the old days before the war,
when often the man had a past to for
get and to retrieve. A weakling In dis
grace would sulk all the rest OF his
| life or commit suicide. A regular fel-
low would join the legion and fight his
way back.
81 knew an Englishman, dismissed
from the British army who won dis
tinction in the Foreign legion during
this war. You've heard Of his case.
The papers rang with 1t. He fought
superbly. He wiped out every stain.
| And they've restored his British army
rank and privileges.
| Believe me, every man who enters
| the legion to wipe out some debt he
owes his good name pays. He pays
three times over. For every member
starts in at the very bottom. No mat
ter whether he's been a general or q
nobleman he enters as private and
wins his way by merit. He comes out
Ia man.
But you can't help being man
and a fighting man at that-when
you have an officer like our colonel.
| Collet is his name and a finer man
never killed Huns.
"He has the bluest eyes in the
world, blue as the sea, and they look
you straight in the soul. He has a
Iway of saluting private that Is
Iexactly as he salutes an officer. draw
| ing himself up very straight and
taking time for 1t, as II he couldn't
slight any recognition OF a man in the
Foreign legion.
And good hearted! One day was
seated in a trench going after Coolies
I got 1Oa that afternoon. Along came
the colonel. ] started to get up. feel
ling queer to salute without a shirt on.
Don't trouble yourself. my son. he
said kindly. Just keep right on. Are
they very worrysome today? Never
mind, boys, we're going to get out to
| a rest camp tomorrow, and we can all
have a good wash
He'd never wear helmet, either,
not even in the battle line. Just
cloth military cap. But If one OF the
men went without his helmet even In
i a rear trench, the colonel would be
right after him to put 1t on. brave
soldier and a kind-hearted officer
There isn't a man in the legion that
wouldn't die for him. There was
flight once in Tonkin. But anyway.
that's the legion idea. China-long
ago-where two companies Of the le-
gion stood their ground and died In
their tracks. Do you know that to
this day at the legion headquarters
in Africa they go through ceremony
| of commemoration for those men?
An officer. reads out the names and
the commanding officer slowly and
lreverently replies, in each instance:
/ ".Dead on the field of honor
That's how long the memory OF the
Foreign legion is!"
| Among its memories the legion mas
gathered none more scintillant than
those of Auberive and Seicheprey and
lVerdun, 1917.
At Auberive. In the Champagne dis
trict, the men went for five days and
nights without food, fighting mean
while like flends. They had brought
rations for forty-eight hours. After
that they sucked mud to get water.
They chewed leather. Plenty OF food
awaited them a few miles back. but
so desperate grew the battle that there
was not time to bring 1t up. Ammuni-
/ ton; ammunition-every available
tcarrier and carriage brought ammu-
milton. The men snatched at it, spent
II sayagely and roared-not for food
for more shells.
Anyway, we held the position"
Straight for Thorn.
There was a certain section Of vii
lage where the Germans had machine
guns planted. The French artillery
lacked time to shell the spot, so the
legion decided to clean it up without
any artillery preparation. 1t was sui
eide, but 1t was magnificent.
"rn never foget how we advanced
on that village" Corporal Mouvet re-
marked. suddenly sitting erect. Every
man marched as though on parade. 1
marveled at the officers. who went be-
side us, saying 'Straighten that line a
bit to the left'-as II we were IN
procession. For yards. we marched
thus. with all those German machine
guns trained on our ranks. And then
at a signal we ran!
God. how we ran! At top speed.
Straight for them.
L