Grand Forks herald., 1918-08-30
CHAPTER v.
Over the Hurdles.

Over the Hurdles. 4,
Our barracks were located in ., VII
lage near the Swiss border It was a
hilly. wooded country, and the air
was as bracing as new wine.
There was not the slightest delay
In starting our training. The morn
ing after our arrival we drew French
horses<and French guns and caissons
and hiked to park where some
French artillery instructors were
awaiting us.
Our first work was to break the
horses to harness. 1t was the hard
est Job ever tackled for the nags
didn't understands a word of English.
So we had to start right in and teach
those animals how to take orders in
the language of the United States.
Some of the fellows had brought
French grammars over with them,
and they tried out some Of the French
words on the horses. But their pro-
didn't .savvy at all. AS driver of the
lead piece. had my troubles, as you
we'll imagine.
The horse may be the most intelli-
gent of the beasts, as the naturalist
tells us, but he is no ,Nnguist, and
| can't carry more than one language
IN his noodle at the same time. Be-
fore you can graft a new lingo into
his brain you have to kill off the old
lowed with my nags. gave orders
that nothing but United States be
talked to the horses, and every time
caught a French parlevooing'' to
tnem blew up and asked him what
IN thunder he meant by butting in
on my educational system. I guess.
the first United States words the nags'
learned were .,.damp'' and he'll" for
confess used both pretty freely at
the start of the instruction.
had to laugh when l looked at
the French 75-millimeter guns, they
seemed SO small and inferior when
compared with our American field
pieces.
"If- we have to use these toys" I
thought, the Huns won't do a thing
to us when we get into action"
The French "75's." 80.
But l underwent a radical change
of opinion after several days of tar
get practice with the little fire-eaters.
found that we could de faster and
more accurate work with them than
with the more warlike looking Ameri-
can pieces. It is certain that the Ger
mans know to their cost what the
little 75's are capable Of doing.
| With my sbuddy, the sergeant, to
help me. 1 put in some hard work on
the guns, practicing with the sights
and getting familiar with the PARTS.
1t was my ambition to be able to send
accurate she'll messages into boche-
land. My buddy was enthusiastic,
and said he had never seen anybody
get along so fast.
Il can't get it out of. my head,
Reddy,' he said, "that you are going
to make your mark over here"
| You make me blush, old top"
replied. But his words gave me a
lot of encouragement, although I
knew that he was just trying to make
me feel good. q
The hard work soon won its reward,
for on September /, 1917, was made
cannoneer. I was the proudest
buddy in the whole American army
when l got that boost.
On the day of my promotion I was
turned over to a little French SER
geant, who had the reputation of
being one of the best artillerymen in
France. His English was insignifi-
cant, but his gestures were eloquent,
and ! picked up fast under him. He
knew the French Is like a jeweler
knows a watch. Among the things I
learned from him was how to clean
and how to disable the gun in case
It was threatened with capture by the
Huns. I learned to love that little IS
as man loves his horse or his dog.
Corporal De Varila.
A few days later was made a cor
poral, and then my joy was COM
plete. I wouldn't have changed Jobs
with the chief marshal of the French
army. In a. battery the corporal sets
the detection. sees that the cross hair
IS on the target and fires the gun.
Already / had visions Of !mashing. in
boche front-line trenches and MAX
ing direct hits on German munition
dumps. I wanted to move nv little
Is right up to the front line at once
and begin the devilment. EE
! Inc way we Yanks progressed with
the guns amazed our French instruct
ors. 1t may sound like boasting, but
II is a fact that in a few weeks we
learned all they knew, and in target
practice we dumfounded them by the
number of our direct hits. It is true
that the American gunners lare the
best in the world They have a truer
eye. steaqjer hand and work more
quickly and accurately than the artil-
lerymen Of any other nation. We
demonstrated that after we had been
on the front line but a few days. and
when American batteries get going
good over there. Germany is going to
realize that the Yanks are on the Job.
american gunners are going to deliv-
er the knockout to Won Hindenburg,s
Ldfe in Camp.
Now I will give you little idea of
our everyday life in that little French
village on the Swiss border. Reville
sounded at Ava. M. and we bounded
out OF our hunks and had cold
showers. We engaged in setting-up
exercises until 6 a. M, when mess
was served. Gun drill started at
o'clock and lasted until 1880 a. m.
Then we knocked off for mess again.
and swent back to the guns at
o'clock. drilling until 6 p. M. when
we had the evening meal. After that
we were free until g. o'clock the next
morning
The villagers used us very generous
~ until some Of the artillerymen
learned to speak French fairly we'll
and put them wise to the pay we were
getting. Then they thought every
American soldier was a millionaire
and began to soak us in the matter
OF prices. I heard story which illus
trates the price-gouging Of Americans
pretty well.
A French soldier went into a shop
In the village and asked the price of
a souvenir handkerchief.
Five francs" said the shopkeeper.
Too high" grunted the Frenchman
and he~walksd out.
A Canadian soldier went in and
told he could have it for twenty-five
francs. He left without buying.
An American soldier was the nart
to call. - =
How much?" asked the Yankee.
picking up the handkerchief which