Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-27

washington neeQS no commission 10
determine Germany's contention that
her troops have not committA in
human acts in the field. Numerous
letters from the fighting front, writ
ten by Washington boys. fully con-
, firm the charge.
None. perhaps, have done so in a
better story than that written by
Private Meyers Ostrower of the 165th
Field Hospital Che old 1st District of
Columbia Field HospitaD, 111th
. Sanitary Train, under date of Sep
TENDER 81, in which he reviews the
war history of the LIST District of Co
lumbia Hospital from it's departure
until now.
1.-THE Fighting 165th Field Hospi
tal," he writes, happy to the last
buck private in the rear rank. dis
embarked at AN Atlantic port. some
where in France late last october
and took its way in French freight
cars to the training area. Each side
door Pullman carried its full quota,
forty hommes. or eight chevreauX
For three days we bumped along and
about 10 on the last night we de-
trained. A heavy rain had fallen dur
ing the entire trip. and when we piled
out it was at it's height-mud:> mud
and rain. No matter. for could we
hOl near Inc Id -Oi TltHNi iVsiN >
guns?
Unload "Toy" Train.
so, in the driving rain. We cheer
fully stood to- to unload our little
toy train and make way for the i'm
patient little locomotives that were
snorting their Indignation at us for
holding them up when they were
loaded with supplies for the fighting
poiluS at the front.
I'VE then fell in and with our packs
on our backs splashed happily down
the muddy road to the town, the
barns of which We're to be our homes
during a part of our training period.
1t was a dark. gloomy little town
lying low in the valley and sheltered
by wood-crowned hills that bristled
with guns which now and then would
humble out their hymn of hate for
the kaiser. a thrill passed through
our ranks. We were near it. We
were in it,
"Just three months later to q day
We were mustered into federal service.
First Town Held Charms.
many French villages from Doremy to
Chateau Thierry. still no one of us
will ever forget that first town, for.
dirty and crude as it was. it had and
etill has d charm for us. and we would
all of us like to- go hack for just a
who welcomed US to France"
Then follows curSory account of a
months doings. hard work that COW
cred everything from street cleaning
to sanitation. drills and hikes; the
shift to another town; the establish
ment of a camp hospital that was
closed again almost as soon as
opened, and the march to rejoin the
division.
Just drudge, Trudge!"
THE whole Rainbow Division" he
writes, was about to change it's loca-
ton and hike to a new station in an i
area $50 miles to the south, where it ,
would receive it's new equipment and
be refitted for service at the front" |
Then follows an account of the long !
march of the column that moved |
down the road like a long serpent"
the greetings and cheers given by the
Inhabitants at the various villages
passed, when the sight of a pretty
girl was signal for the whole line to
do an eyes right or left"
Four days of tramping by day and
"a bed in the hay at night followed. |
when it was Just trudge, trudge, |
through snow and ice and mud, carry |
ing our heavy pack and praying for
another fifty minutes to go by when !
we would get another halt, for with
each hour of travel came ten minutes
OF rest"
AT last We reached the end of the
first leg of our journey, a French
town. where, for the first time since
we landed. we slept in wooden bar
racks. a luxury after our weeks in
barns.
Get Christmas Cheer.
"Christmas came in time to catch
us in this town and none of us will
ever forget it. For one time at least
war was forgotten and we lived to
eat-everything from turkey and
champagne to figs and nuts. How we
lived after we ate 1 can never under
stand.
THE day after Christmas we took
UP our march again. 1t had been
showing steadily. so that the road
was covered with a ten-inch blanket.
We marched more than 100 miles
through the worst blizzard France
has ever seen. Water froze in ones
canteen, ears were frostbitten and
fingers felt as If they would fall off.
. Our packs were like lead, and at night