The Glenwood post., 1918-07-20
AMERICANS BRAVE WORK IN
THE BE1LEAu-wooD FIGHTING

| lChSA IhSN Calo VI ehooS -'SA!iduS WIN
have been fed up on the vaporings
from Berlin to the effact tha. the
American troops are & negligible
quantity, thu men towards, and the
officers unframed.
Instances If individual bravery in
the fighting t1ound Chateau Thierry
are slowly reaching this country. One
lad of nineteen, shot in .he arm and
leg during the securing of Belleau
Wood, developed nasty crouch when
told at the dressing station that he
would have to 60 to the base hospital
for long time.
"But the war will be over before J
get back!n he complained in disgust.
Here is the way correspondent of
the New York Times tells the story of
this boys exploit
In the severe fighting this boy of
nineteen, who is sergeant, was lead
ing seven men with their rifles busy
One by ore his men fell, until he was
left alone.
Still shooting at every German head
| he could see, he came to a little clear
| ing, where he got five Germans cov-
| cred. They threw down their rifles
held up their hands and yelled exam
| erad!'
The American youth kept his rifle
on them and advanced, when a sniper
got him through the right arm. lie
had to drop his rifle, but drew his auto
matte with his left hand and kept Oh
going Then the sniper wounded him
in the left leg. That did not halt him.
He forced the Germans to disarm, then
he directed them to make an impro-
vised litter for him.
Pressing his automatic into the back
of one of the Germans, the sergeant
ordered them to carry him back to his
post command. Down through woods
swept by machine gun fire, down
road, across field, and then to his
post command his captured litter bear
ers took him. Then he was put into an
ambulance and taken to the rear.
After his wounds had been di essod
at a field hospital he was completely
disgustei when told that he had to GO
tc base hospital for long tune. lie
was still aggrieved when he said to me-
''TLe war will be al! ornr when l get
back ! would like to give this
brave lad S name, but the censorship
rules forbid until after the war de
partment notifies his family that he
days to two weeks.
Premier Clemenceau of France ap-
peared unexpectedly at the American
front the following day. He said he
had come to felicitate the boys FROM
the United States on the "neatness
and Dispatch with which they had
cleared the enemy out of Belleal
Wood, and he described the operation
as "peculiarly American in conception,
Plan and execution In this connec
tion another correspondent of the
Times writes:
Some details of the fighting are now
becoming available, and elucidate that
which may have been in the French
premier's mind. For one thing, the
Americans used their rifles with most
al off
private who paused calmly during the
advance, and, although under heavy
shell fire, picked off with all the sang
froid in the world the entire crew of a
menacirg ma ,hine gun.
1t is not to be argued from this that
the United s:a,es soldiers did not
show themselves extremely handy with
their bayonets, for they did, bu. half
instinctively, perhaps, they made the
rifle bullet count as it has rarely
counted in this war.
Other qualities which came out in tine
fighting were the Americans eager.
ness to be on the offensive and their
constant desire to keep the warfare
open.
Among the individual accomplish
ments of the Americans at Belleau
Wood that of Private. Frank P. Lenert
Of Chicago probably stands out as the
most spectacular. Lenert, by the way,
is said to be German American, and
the way he rounded up eighty three
Germans single-handed very nearly ap-
proaches comic opera. Lenert some
how managed to get himself surround
ed by the enemy along about three
clock in the morning, and, says tho
Times correspondent:
Seeing that he was alone he thought
| IL hee+ IN coll ofr the fiuhtinu FOR a