The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-07-08
UNKNOWN HERO !.
u f -. IA sa-r .9GaN 8
!. wins CITATION 0!
French Unable to Learn Identity
!, Of Soldier Who Gave Life
n for Country.
Refuses! R I 70 SAVE HIMSELF
With Pipe In Mouth He tranquil.
Picks on German After German
y Until Hs Falls, RiddIed With
Bullets,

.
~ With the French Armies.-To the
Seventy.ninth French regiment Of in
fantry belongs the honor Of the only
citation In the present war to IAN I'm.
known Soldier
The croix de guerre, which the cita.
tion merited, and which In view Of the
hero's death would ordinarily be given
BY the French government to the sol.
dier's nearest relatives, lies unclaimed
1t the ministry Of war at Paris. All
that Is known of the man is the man
ner Of his death and the fact that he
IL buried where lie fell on the heights
Of Saint Epvre.
The story Of this unknown soldier"
Is unquestionably the story Of thous-
ands Of other French heroes In the ear.
" days Of the war before means. of
Identification 6 the dead had been ,es-
tnblished and when regiments were
hurrledly formed, thrown into action
md declmated before soldier knew
the name Of the comrade fighting ut
his side. = =
.i'e. Story Of Hsreisn,.
= The only difference is that this nm.
known soldier received a citation for
his life's sacrifice and the others did
not.
y This Is the story:
On August 28, 1914, during the fore
noon, the First battalion Of the Seven
fy-nintt regiment Of infantry, which
had been decimated ut Morhange, was
hastily reformed in the vicinity Of
Rosieeres. Aux.Salines from contin.
gent Of reserves which" had been
rushed up.
That evening before the original
members of the battalion had had time
even to get acquainted with their new
comrades, the battalion was engaged
BY the Germans in violent surprise
attack on the heights Of the farm of
Saint Eypre, near Luneville.
About five in the afternoon the ad'
vanced line of the battalion took shei.
ter back Of a little ridge, which pro-
tected 1t from the Germans, who were
only 100 yards ahead. A veritable
storm, both Of rifle and artillery fire.
whistled constantly over the heads OF
the sheltered French battalion. 4. t
= Suddenly, from out Of the ranks OF
the Third company, an unknown re-
servist, who had just arrived TINT
morning, leaped to the summit Of the
little ridge under which the battalion
was resting. ...$ 81.
Dropping to his knees, with pipe
hanging from his mouth, he began
TRANQUILITY to fire shot after shot into
the ranks Of the. Germans, just 100
yards ahead. H., "a ..%ag3
! CONSERVATION reigned IN the ranks
Of the First battalion Of the Seventy.
ninth. Then, the officers recovering
from their surprise. loudly ordered the
man back into RANKS.
"a Rsfused 10 Save Self:
But the latter, without ceasing for
IN instant his firing and without even
dropping his pipe from his mouth, bel.
lowed back: H.
~ .Leave me alone. I'm an expert
marksman and want to do something
for my country willie I have such \
6ne chance to do It."
From the very first instant, of his ap-
pearance on tlA sum NIT Of the ridge the
riAe fire Of the entire regiment Of Ger
mans was centered on him. Yet for a
full i've minutes he continued tran
GULLY to fire with sure aim into their
ranks before he finally fell riddled
with bullets, the stock Of his rife shat
tered into splinters and his pipe
Knocked from his mouth as he rolled
over on the ground. ,.,,s
A moment afterward. the Seventy
ninth leaped again to the assault and
drove the Germans down the ridge.
: That night the Seventy-nlnth buried
their hero on the summit Of the ridge
where he had fallen. There was moth
fhg about his person to indicate his
identity. His deed of heroism was sig
nailed to the ministry Of war. The min
fstry of war did everything In its pow.
sesr to identify the soldier, but without:
results. Unwilling that the sacrifice.
should 60 parecorde d, the citation was
granted in the nam 9 Of IAN Unknown
Soldier $3.50 - ~, ~?