American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-09-20
HERO OF MARINE BACK IN
UTAH.


Il have seen strange things and had
some weird experiences during my six
months on the firing line, but when l
look back on IL all now the one thing
that stands as the most wonderful by
far Is the fighting spirit Of the AM
erican boys. When they charge the
line the Germans know they are go
ing all the way, and the American Of
hcers know there will be no turning
back til the objective is reached.
Most Of the time | have been on OBJ
servatiOn duty and occupied vantage
points where / could see the whole
field Of action, and tell you the
Yankees plunge into the fire with a
recklessness that would strike you
dumb"
II is this sort of praise that Lieu
tenant $. Grant Young, who is just
home from the front, has for his Am
crican comrades.
Lieutenant Young belongs to.the ia
nous Yankee" division, otherwise
known as the Twenty-sixth. He has
been In action for eight months with
an artillery unit in France. One Of
his mementoes is a bullet-perforated
sleeve, Since the big offensive began
his division has been in the thick of
il. lie was with the fighting men who
early In July relieved the marines at
Yourselves and Belleau wood. They
pushed over to Chateau Thierry and
then northward to the vesle river.
This piece Of lighting was a Won
derful but b%ewildering experience"
Lieutenant Young said. 1.-THE Ameri-
cans followed up their offensive with
marvellous system and order. But or
der ever at its best, on the battle
field means chaos, congestion and Of
ten privation. For days at a time we
had no bed rolls. Often we went hun
cry, but not because our cOmmissary
was low; 1t was simply a matter Of not
being able to get food up to us. AT
this time most of the men were sick
of %dystentery, due probably ia the
prolonged exposure. Some attributed
our illness to the Germans poisoning
the water, but | never took much stock
In that theory"
When asked if the soldier ever gets
so accustomed to lighting that ne
loses all sense of fear, Lieutenant
Young said that he doesn't think any
fighter ever gets hardened TO that de.
gree. Nerves. he explained. is one
OF the worst things TO contend with in
army life. In this war il is the prac
tice TO send the boys frequently be
hind the lines for rest. The strong
est of them need that. II they sta,
too long under fire they reach tn,
breaking point, and that means shell
shock The allied lighters get goo,
care, and great attention is given b,
the officers to the conservation of hu
man life
/, Lieutenant Young sailed for Europ
last January on a ship which was il
the same convoy with and Just aheal
Of the "Iuscania,' when she was tor
p pedOed by a German submarine. II
says he heard distinctly the explosion
and saw the initial excitement. an
the next he knew his ship was steam
ing full speed ahead to get out of tn
e danger zone. On the return voyag
submarines were sighted. but the de
stroyers got into action before U-boat
could attack. Depth bombs wer
dropped. but whether they reache
their objective will never be known
This happened when the ship was on
day out from Brest. the point of EN-
barkatiOn.
Many other officers ON furloug
came to Aemrica on the same shi
with Lieutenant Young. lie believe
they have been sent home to hel
drill troops in the real tactics of wal
[ as Il has been learned on the field O
action. After q weeks visit with rel
atives and friends. Lieutenant Youn
viii report az an encampment /
D Maryland, 10 be assigned TO new du
{ ties. Salt Lake Tribune.