Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-08
Three State Yankees
Bury Fallen Comrades
CONTINUED from First Page. !

but succeeded only in upsetting the
gun. Never losing his nerve, he
changed his tactics. hurting hand
grenades among the crew, scattering
the Germans and saving our adVanc-
ing lines from heavy thanking casual
ties.
Captures Gun and Crew
Corporal John Desmidt, of 34O9
Belmont avenue, Chicago, is another
immortal who, finding his platoon
under a demoralizing fire, crept for
ward through the grass alone, locat-
ed and seized the rasping machine
gun and captured the surviving Ger
mans. forcing them to carry 1t into
our lines.
Private Fred P. Wilins, of Casper.
Wyo., unaided bombed an enemy ma
chine gun crew who were harassing
| cur advance and captured the gun.
Corporal Thomas A. Pope, OF llll-
nois, after the enemy had recaptured
our advance post and his platoon
was ordered to restore it, rushed the
hostile machine gun alone and get
ting astride it, fought the entire
crew with the bayonet until help
came. The fight ended with the gun
| in our possession and its operators
either killed or captured.
Sergeant Andrew j. Erhardt, of
ililhOlSt Wuel HIS llHS was iSio up'
earned unique distinction by crossing
shell-swept field to an armored
tank acting in conjunction with our
troops. He led the tank over to
where an enemy machine gun was
located and directed the fire of those
inside the tank, which destroyed the
interfering machine.
Corporal Andrew Schabinger. of
Chillicothe, Ill, mopped up town
we had entered, leading his platoon
into the second floors of houses
from which enemy machine guns
were firing.
Corporal Raymond Powell, OF
Joliet, ILL.,, gained distinction by
leading a section. driving the enemy
with machine guns a second time
from one of our advanced posts.
Private Harry Shelly, of 3S9 Men,
ard avenue, Chicago, showed con-
spicuous gallantry by capturing an
enemy sniping position, taking eight
| prisoners.
There is a halo of praise around
! Private Christopher Keane, of 4612
West Monroe street. Chicago, who in
an area ripsawed by machine gun
| fire after two of our stretcher bear
ers were killed, forced German pris-
oners to take their places and assist
in carrying in our wounded.
Other Chicago boys who performed
acts of special gallantry are Private
William Linsky, of $40 West Huron
street; Sergeant James krum, 65O4
Nordica avenue; Lieutenant FRANK
Schram, of 1854 Farrasut avenue;
Lieutenant Michael Kamofowski, OF
2933 West Forty ninth street, and
Lieutenant Albert G. Jefferson, 1O11
Home avenue.
Rivalry of Races
For the exceptional daring and
fearlessness of the American troops
in France the explanation is stern,
good-natured competition between
the descendants of different races
fighting side by side in our small
units. Each progeny is determined
to star over it's rival in the ranks
beside hlm. This matchingCot indl-
vidual fighting capacity is believed
by our generals to produce higher
range of personal valor than the Ger
man army system, which pits Bavar-
ians, Saxons, Prussians and others
against each other in large groups
engendering bitter sectional hos
| tilitieS.
Showing the gladitorial character
of our system, two army stenograph-
ers, one of German, the other of Irish
descent, at a certain headquarters
got into a dispute who was personal
ly the bravest. They set off alone on
a dark night, passed our forward
| lines and entered the German trench
bringing back a prisoner who was
forced by the Irishman to help carry
| his slightly wounded comrade. The
| dispute is still unsettled, but each OF
the men has profound respect toI
| the other,