The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-04-19
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
HUMAN INTEREST STORIES OF
AMERICAN MEN WITH
PERSHING.

With the American Army in
France, April 19.-American troops
operating on the Lorraine sector
have taken ove control of No Mans
Land. Patrolling parties are making
almost nightly visits up to the Ger
man wire entanglements without en-
countering any resistance.
A lieutenant and a party of IL
have made a five-holn exploring trip,
penetrating to the third line and
making maps of machine gun and
snipers' posts and strong points,
without being seen by the enemy.
An artillery lieutenant in an OBJ
servation post sighted a German
field kitchen coming up to the enemy
line. He gave his battery its posi-
tion and the kitchen was destroyed
with three shots.
Every Man a Hero.
Commanders of units who partici-
pated in the several days of fighting
last week in company with the
French in the Apremont wood sector
are finding 1t difficult to pick out
men who especially distinguished
themselves In the operations.
One commander said that every
hard to choose the most deserving
cases.
One of the most popular men with
the soldiers on this sector is the
Rev. Des Wales, a Roman Catholic
priest of New Bedford, Mass, who is
capacity, he having come to France
as a representative of the Knights
of Columbus.
When the attack began, Father
Des Wales, Drawing the dangers of
she'll and machine gun fire, went to
the casualty clearing station near
the front line to administer to the
wounded. He assisted in dressing
the injuries of the soldiers and gave
each man a word of cheer. He hand
ed out cigarets to the men who
smoked.
Hes as game as they make them
and every inch a soldier" said a
doughboy, while other soldiers spoke
Cf the inspiration furnished by the
priest.
Wouldn't Quit Job.
Another popular man is a young
banker OF Springfield, Mass, who
was pressed into service as a stretch
err bearer. He was the smallest man
in the outfit and after several trips
became so exhausted he was unable
to hold the stretcher. He refused to
give up and had his companions tie
the stretcher to his wrists with rope
SO as to enable him to hold the
stretcher on the journey from the
front line to the dressing station.
Twice in "a hours an American
company has assisted French troops
in a neighboring sector to regain
trenches temporarily taken by the
Germans. The company was led by
a captain who took his troops over
the top in the face of the most vio-
lent machine gun and artillery fire.
Each time he succeeded in driving
out the enemy and inflicting heavy
casualties and then strengthening
the positions.
Don't Waste These Bombs.
A most pathetic story from the
American lines is that of a young
corporal who was wounded fatally
after fighting for four hours. A
piece of %shrapnel struck MIN in the
head. He had a grenade in each
hand. Giving them to his companion
he said:
Il guess I'm done. Please write
to my mother and tell her how it
happened. But here-take these
grenades and for Gods sake don't
waste them"
The corporal fell in a faint and
died in a hospital the next day with
cut regaining consciousness.
At one point on this sector there
tween the opposing trenches. A day
before an attack the Germans threw
q note into the American trench. 1t
read:
What are you? Canadians or
Australians?"
Come over and find out" was
the reply thrown back by an Amer
can soldier.
They Found Ont.
The infantryman who related the
incident added:
II guess they know who We are
now and they will not be likely to
forget 1t for some time"
One lieutenant in a listening post
with a small party Of men was cut
off from the remainder of the pla-
toon in Fridays attack. He tried to
send up rockets to signal an Amer
lean barrage. but the rockets failed
10 work. A private then volunteered