The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-08-15
CORPORAL HARDY
RI RELATES EXPERIENCE
Among the First Contingent to Land
in France-Tells of Lone Ameri-
can Capturing 81 Germans

in France-Tells of Lone Ameri-
can Capturing 81 Germans
Corporal Ray Hardy of the Second
U. s. Engineers, who is now at home
on a twelve days furlough was a
visitor to the Independent office We'd
nesday. Corporal Hardy is the son
of George B. Hardy, one of the lead
ing Surrey farmers and is the first
Ward county soldier to return from
the front. Enlisting in the Engineers
in May 1917, he was first stationed
at Ell Paso, Texas, where he remained
for four months after which his regi-
ment was sent to Washington where
they received thei1 complete equip
ment prior to their departure for
France. Mr.. Hardy was in all prob
ability the first Ward county man
to go over.
He says their reception by the
French people was an ovation. They
were shown every honor, both in Paris
and London. Their first work in
France consisted in the erection of
barracks and hospital buildings. His
unit was afterwards transferred to
the Toul sector, this was in March.
After remaining here short time
they were sent to Verdun. He says
the sights in Verdun and vicinity are
wonderful. He saw Notifications that
were sixty feet in depth. After this
his unit was in training for a short
period when on May 81 they were
rushed up to stop the gap between
the British and French lines. They
stemmed the tide and held the line
for three days, practically with no ar
tillery support. The fighting was
severe and our casualties were heavy.
In this battle he received two wounds,
a machine gun bullet plowed fur
row thru the f1eshy part of his ri ght
arm and a shrapnel slug bored thru
his left leg. This engagement was
known as the battle of Chateau Thier
ry, which up to that time was the
fiercest enga cement in which the Am
ericans had fought. On July 1st his
regiment captured 400 German prl-
soners.
Just after he got out of the hospital
he received orders to report at head
quarters where he was ordered to re-
turn to the United States and act as
instructor in cantonments. He says,
that although he was glad of the op-
portunity to return home and see his
parents and friends he was loath to
leave just as the "fun" was really
beginning. He left the front July IS,
going aboard the transport on the
18th. He has orders to report for duty
at Camp Forrest, Ca, on the goth.
One of the incidents recounted by
Corporal Hardy illustrates in prac-
tical manner the character OF the
men whom the Germans are cup
against 1t takes Yankee ingenuity
to circumvent, the Hun, and the front
lines is where you will find the Am
erican soldier at his best, always alert
and anxious to "put one over" on
Heinie. He said that one morning
early, just at day break, an Amerl-
can came into camp at the head OF ~
Germans who were following along at
his heels as crest fallen as a passel
of ours. 1t seems that the Yank who
was engaged in carrying messages
had become confused and in the dense
forest had gotten into the German
lines instead of the American. He
was taken prisoner and when the Ger
mans quizzed him regarding the. To-
cation, strength, ETC., of the American
forces he told them they were prac-
tically surrounded and that particular
WOOu was dDOuC W DC oACAASus AAS
told them that within few minutes
after the bombardment started there
would not be one of them left to tell
the tale. He spoke with such evident
sincerity that they swallowed every
statement and asked him to pilot them
into the American lines. He finally
consented to do this and just at break
of day he approached our lines where
he was challenged and asked, "Who
comes there?" Giving his name, rank
and station, he said, he had bunch
of Germans with him. When asked
if he wanted assistant guards in get
ting his prisoners back to headquart-
ers he replied, "Hell no, these fellows
\ will follow me any place."
5~ On the return trip he met McGone-
gal, the Minot soldier who lost both
hands by the premature explosion OF
hand grenade last winter. He says
that despite the loss Of his hands and
still suffering from the effects of the
1O2 wounds he received at the time
the bomb exploded, he was bright and
cheerful and was laughing and chat
ting with his shipmates aboard the
transport. Corporal Hardy saw the
fall Of Quentin Roosevelt's machine,
but of course had no knowledge at
the time as to whose machine it was.
It happened to be the only American
plane to fall on that sector that day
and when the news came of Quentin's s
death the boys recalled the incident.
Corporal Hardy speaks at the Sur
rey high school Friday evening and
many Minot people are arranging to
attend the meeting and hear. at first
hand the account of the first. Ward
County soldier to return from the bat
tlefelds of France.
Important Meeting of Minot Town
Criers
On Tuesday evening the Minot
Town Criers met and in their usual
Ii a. x,11b bliaik I "