The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-30

ParfS.-ThiS Is q story OF men
wounded who went back to fight in a
jungle of woods, where sometimes you
cannot see twenty feet ahead of you;
of others who carried messages and
brought supplies over shell-swept
areas; OF still others who fought to
success against tremendous odds,
fought their way to the hidden ma
chine guns of the enemy and dragged
the Germans out of their fox holes and
dugouts in the forest. It is the story
Of men who never turned back.
1t is the heroic story of the fighting
in the Bots de Belleau (now officially
Forest of the American Marines")
an imperishable and glorious record IN
American history.
The story OF the Bots de Belleau
has been told a hundred times. 1t
will continue to be told as long as
there are Americans. But since the
censorship has been lifted, it can be
given in little more detail than be-
fore and in the light of succeeding
events it can assume its proper place
as a turning point in the great war.
For in the Bots de Belleau, where the
desperate and gallant fighting was not
exceeded in the whole four and one
half years of bloody warfare, the Ger
man troops learned what kind of
fighters the Americans were, and are.
On June 2 the London Times came
out with a great editorial saying it was
proved in battle that Germany was
beaten; that the numbers were being
equalized in the field: that the Ger
man troops could not stand up against
the kind of a fight the Americans put
up.
June IL. the day before, was the
day on which the marines, having
taken two-thirds Of Belleau woods,
swept over and took the town of
Bouresches.
Soldiers Knew This.
What the London Times said was
what the soldiers already knew, tho
historians may give the turning point
of the war as July IS, when Marshal
Foch began his offensive in the second
battle of the Marine, basing their opin-
ions on tactical considerations. Yet
there are millions who will always
believe that on the day when the ma
rines stepped up to save Paris. and in
the face of prodigious numbers drove
the crown princes army back, that
day there was proved by actual COM
bat what everybody knew before, that
there could only be one outcome of the
war, and as soon as the American boys
got on the field in numbers they would
shatter the German morale.
1t was then that General Pershing
uttered his battle cry, Hell. Hoboken
or Heaven before Christmas It was
then that trainload after trainload of
Of the Rhine.
was In Be1leau woods when the
gallant marines were still there.
went at the invitation of Major (then
Brigadier) General James G. Har-
bord, a splendid and gallant officer. a
fighter of the Pershing type, whom I
had known years before, in the Phil
ippines, and who was in command of
a brigade of marines at Belleau woods.
Belleau woods is huge kidney
1ac
long, filled with huge rocks and al
most impossible. It-was part of that
territory where the German wedge
reached nearest Paris. The other his
toric points are Chateau-Thierry,
about three miles distant: Bouresches.
just across the valley; Hill 142. Luce
lie Bocage and Triangle Farm.
Three thousand eight hundred ma
rines, Major Ley told me. were casu-
alties in Belleau woods and adjoin-
ing territory. This is not supposed to
be an official figure. 1t was too early
to be definite then. 1t was tive 1ty-
five to thirty days before the woods
were cleared of the Germans.
The marines who took the i'm
portant strong points of Belleau
woods, Bouresches and Vaux engaged
and defeated with great loss three
German divisions. For a part of tie
time they fought at odds of five or
six to one. There was practically
nothing left of the German divisions.
Belleau woods was intentionally
filed with their bodies. Besides, 1,40O
prisoners, survivors of the fight, were
taken and many machine guns.
Here is the way the battle began.
The French troops, who had been
holding the line for many days, were
wearied, and it was desired to relieve
them. The French therefore retired,
leaving thin elements their line
and on the night of May 81 the ma
rines were hurried up IN trucks to re-
Heve them. marching the last part of
the journey.
But as the French retired the Ger
mans in some places pushed thru the
thin lines. Some of our men told me
that when they first came into con-
tact with the Germans below the
woods at early dawn, the enemy