The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1918-12-18
From Lieut.. Grover c. Riclcy.
France. Nov. 18th, 1918.
A. p q III A t. IL

You nave asked me in several os
your letters to tell you how, when and
where | was wounded Now since the
end is here | will tell you. My rca-
son for not having told you before was
uue TO the fact that | had two and
my only two brothers at the front
flghting and wanted to get back with
them, while at the same time | knew
IT would worry yod all to know that |
mad been wounded and was going back
to my outfit, Which is known as the
fighting 59th.
10 begin with was wounded in the
greatest fight of the so-called world
war, the Chatcau-Therry fight. 70,
no doubt remember that on July 10Th
the Germans started an offensive with
point blank view Of going to Paris.
Fortunately there were seven Ameri-
can divisions at hand, my Division be-
ing one among the seven. We receiv-
ed orders that we came to France to
fight and now was the time to fight,
so dive in and fight like h. We
dived in and we fought and we fought
like II. We fought for two long
weeks. Naturally two weeks is a short
time, but take it from me, that when
you wade through hostile artillery,
machine gun and acroplane fire for
that length of time you have seen
quite a little h on earth went
through with comrade after comrade
falling on all sides OF me, receiving
only flesh wound in my left arm
This knew was nothing serious, so
after bandasing it up myself I went
forward and continued to hold my own
until August 3rd,' when | was cut
down. then realized that my leg
would not permit my walking any
further SO | tried to crawl This
was doing when q piece CT high en-
piosive cut my gas mask from off my
face. The Germans were then putting
over quite number OF gas shells
There was nothing for me to do but
wait patiently for my end to come.
y
thinking Of all Of you when one OF my
men came up and asked me If he could
do anything for me. told him that
my mask was gone and was only n
him to take the platoon and continue
the advance. He salutcd and turned
with tears in his eyes but in a few
minutes returned with a mask which
fallen hero. BY this time | was prac-
tically gone and remember nothing dis
tinctly until / had gotten to Il hospital
in Paris and there standing over me
was real honest to God American
nurse She asked me what | wanted,
a cup Of chocolate or a glass OF lem
Onadc. Just what told her | do not
know, but the fellows on the ward with
mo accuse me of saying, "My God,
where am I; in Heaven or whcrc?"
From then on continued to feel bet
ter each day and was soon myself
again Last Monday morning when
the end came 1t took me a long time
to realize that the war was over and
was still living. Nevertheless I am,
and here's hoping it will not be long
before will be back with you ALL
Am enclosing little piece Of poetry
that was dedicated to the fellows Of
the Chatcau-Thicrry fight by one of
the chaplains.
On the road out Of Chatcau-Thicrry.
by the hill where we halted The Hun
Near Suicides Lane and Deaths Val
ley
Where the BOchc's retreat was begun
There's an acre of crude little crosses
Where we buried young Sergeant Mon
And crowd Of his comradc Crusaders
Whose names we may never quite
know
And some day that road will be tccm-
ing
with Pilgrims who venture to go
TO humanity's Holy of Holes
On the road by the Boise -Bcllcau.
Some viii be looking for brother.
Others for father or son,
Many for husband or sweetheart.
Or comrnho who staid with the gun.
God grant they may come in the sun
shine,
While the spring flowers bloom on the