Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1918-12-20
gTrTFD rHRrE GERMANS
IN NO MANS LAND
Continued from Page one)

accomplish n the future.
Your first elements entered th'
trenches IN Lorraine on February Il
You served on that front for 11t
DAYS You were the first American
division to hold a divisional sector
( and when you left the sector June q
YOU mad served continuously as d.
vision in the trenches for longer
. time than any other American divis-
+ ion. Although you entered the sector
without experience in actual warfare
YOU so conducted yourselves as TO win
the respect and affection Of the
French veterans with whom you
fought. Under gas and lombard
ment. raids and patrols, in the heat Of
hand to hand combat and in the long
duh hours Of trench routine 50 trying
to a soldiers spirit, you bore your
selves in manner worthy Of the ira
ditious IF our country.
You were withdrawn from Lor-
raine and moved Immediately to the
Champagne front. where during the
critical days from Joly IA to July Is
YOU had the honor Of being the only
! American division to fight in General
, Gouard's army which so glonously
obeved his orders, I'VE will stand or
die and by its iron defense crushed
the German assault and made possible
the offensive Of July . to the west OF
Rheims.
saFrom Champagne you were call
ef to take part in exploiting the sue
cess north Of the Mane. Fresh from
the battlefront before Chalons you
were thrown against the picked
troous Of Germany For eight con
seeutive days, you attacked skilfully
prepared positions, or captured great
stores Of arms and munitions. You
forced the crossings Of the Oureq.
You took hill 212, Sergy, Neurey,
Ferme and Sernges by assault. You
drove the enemy, including an lmper-
ial Guard division before you for
depth of fifteen kilometers When
your infantry was relieved it was in
full pursuit of the retreating Ger
mans and your artillery continued to
progress and support another Amerl-
can division in the advance to the
Vesle
For your services in Lorraine your
division was formally commended IN
general orders by the French amy
corps under which you served. For
your services in Champagne your as
sembIed officers received the personal
thanks and commentator of General
Gourard himself For your services
on the Ourcq your division was Off
cially complimented in letter from
the commanding general, first army
corps, of July %, 1918.
e'To your success all ranks and all
services have contributed, and l de-
sire to express to every man in the
command my appreciation Of his de-
voted and courageous effort.
: However, our position places
burden of responsibility upon US
which we must strive to bear steadily
forward without faltering.
aTo our comrades who have fallen
we owe the sacred obligation of main
tanning the reputation which they
died to establish. The influence OF
our performance on our allies and
our enemies cannot be over estimat-
ed for we were one of the first divis-
ions sent from our country to France
to show the world that Americans can
fight.
Hard battles and long campaigns
lie before US. Only by ceaseless vigi-
lance and tireless preparation can we
fit ourselves for them. | urge you
therefore to approach the future with
confidence but above all with firm de
termination that so far as it is in your
power you will spare no effort wheth
err in training or in combat to main
tain the record of our division and
the honor of our country.
"Charles T. Menoher,
"Major General U S. A. J"
MeEyoy has little use for the Ger
mans as fighters. He says that they
will not come out in the open man to
man but will only fight when they out
number the opponent. He praises
General Foch and General Pershing,
both of whom he has seen.
Regarding the Red Cross, McEvoy
says he will take his hat off to the
Red Cross any time or will salute its
uniform He also praises the work
done by the Salvation Army.
Eyes, sir, the war has made a man
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