The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-15

! going up to a machine gun on a
frontal attack. You see men drop
ping all around you and you think
you haven't got a chance anyway,
and then you thinnk well, they
haven't got me yet, maybe I'll get
by" he said. Then, too, you figure
that you are going to get there and
about that. time you get so boiling
ding-busted mad that you don't care
what happens. II you've got a good
man to lead you, you'll go anywhere.
Oh! Well! You don't get much time
for thinking.
Some Classy Officers.
But say boy. maybe you think
we haven't some real classy officers.
Take our lieutenant In our platoon.
He got hit seven times by machine
gun bullets but Lieut.. Murray just
kept right on going at the head Of
our platoon, clear into the town be-
fore he would stop. Next day he was
helpless cripple but with chances
of recovery" This chap as wall as
all the others in the marines are
loyal beyond description to their Of
ficers.
II saw Lieutenant Leonard lead
ing his platoon for the German ma
chine guns on that charge. He led
his men clean to the guns and lost
lot but after his bunch got there
they never had a man hurt in the
bayonet scrap with the Heinies.
don't believe there were more than
10 men with him when he reached
the Germans either"
Mastrud laughed. "Gee, but we
had a good feed that night. We had
hnnn he oil M
every once in while we could hear
them butchering cattle or pigs. The
house hit that night had half a pig
still roasting with the fire still 60
ing. OF course we got enough to eat
in the company corn woolly and
bareback (corn woolly and red horse
are synonymous and translated mean
corned beef. canned), but that fresh
meat, and hot, just as though we'd
ordered 1t, sure tasted ding busted
good"
"Sorta Shocked Me-"
How'd you ever get through that
fire without getting hit?" I asked.
Il didn't" and the boy laughed
again. II had a high explosive shell
hit my pack, cut the right shoulder
strap and tear 1t off. The buddy next
to me got 1t in seven places in the
legs. Well they put a machine bull
let through the top and peak Of my
helmet, but I never found that out
until after we hit the town. Course
1t sorta shocked me a bit when I had
my pack torn off but I came to and
went on"
One little incident illustrates. two
things how secure the Germans
fancled themselves and the inven-
tive or ingenious mind of the Ameri-
cans.
The Germans had a big herd Of
cattle in the field over which Mas
trud's company crossed on the brave
and thrilling dash for the machine
guns. These cattle were killed.
wounded men made use Of the dead
carcasses as shelter. 1T was mighty
funny to see those buddies crawling
up back Of those dead cows. More
machine gun bullets would hit the
dead animals and throw blood all
over the wounded.
But say, I found my pack the
next day 1t weighed enough on
some Of the hikes we were on. II
thought, but you ought to have lifted
it when I found 1t. I'll bet it had
so pounds Of lead and shrapnel in It,"
This force left Bouresches two days
later and moved up to the Bailleul
woods. It was there that Mastrud |
and several other boys got theirs.
You have heard a lot about this |
fight. Well you could not hear too
much. Every Buddy had pretty much
the same story as Mastrud. The |
boys in this historic affair are from
every state in the Union. You Of
course, are interested in North Da-
kota men. There were Is Of them, |
young fellows from Fargo district, |
only one Of whom was over 20 years |
Of age. Included in this fight was the |
Tower City basketball team. How !
ever, 1t was a far different game. |
What mean is that the members Of !
the stellar team Of 1917 were in the |
fight. These sixteen North Dako- |
tans in the marines enlisted and were |
sworn in during the week Of May l, |
1917.
Just tell the folks for us that we
intend to keep right on going until
the kaiser wishes he was enjoying |
the peace and quietude Of He'll. We, |
none Of us, would miss this for all
the money in the state of North Da- !
kota," said Mastrud and the CLEAN |
Of his eyes was ample proof that
he meant fully what he said.
There were other Northwestern
men in the fight, but I have seen
few of them. The buddies referred |
to in this were all enlisted in the
marines.
So here you have another little bit
NJ fiStOT"~