New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
City Cheers Foreign Legion
Heroes, Here to Aid Loan

Under the stained, bullet-riven flag
they have followed through the wars
of quarter century detachment of
bronzed, laughing, devil-may-
Legionnaircs of France stepped out of
the golden pages Of romance yesterday
to ciump their boots on the pavement
OF Broadway.
There are one hundred and fifteen
armed fighting men in the party which
was chosen TO carry the standard of
the Foreign Legion for the first time
to American soil. Seven are officers
all Frenchmen. The rest are soldiers
of the Legion, representing almost
every nation except France.
The majority wear gold wound
stripes, acquired through mixed fight
ing in the four corners of the globe.
The tunic of every man glitters with
war medals, which he displays hut
with the red fourragere, the tassled
cord that signifies the regiment has
beeen eleven times cited as body for
some superhuman feat of daring.
Fought With Wooden Leg
Captain Chartenet de Gerry, com
mander of the company, lost his right
wooden one. and went through all
the Verdun fighting few months later.
An Irish sergeant won the war cross
for little matter of capturing thre"
hundred Bulgarians with a squad Of
five comrades. Captain G. Drouland,
with ten decorations, failed to remem-
ber how he got any Of them. Lieu
tenant Maurice Roussel turned Belgian
to join the Legion, and was permitted
to Resume his own nationality once
moro when he received his commission.
Such were these men whom New
York saw for the first time yesterday
and Immediately lost its collective head
over. As the contingent moved down
the streets with the tattered standard
that has never been born in retreat the
waved back and cheered and grinned
and acted like lot of school boys, in
stead of men who, the Germans know,
never give quarter nor ask it.
The men expressed the deepest gra-
tification at the welcome they have re-
ceIVed in the United States.
Il had been knocked out by wounds
received at Monastir, and was leading
an Arab cavalry detachment guarding
caravan routes in the Sahara desert,
when The word came to start for New
York. Said Sergeant Michael Mac
White. all lrishman from Cork. "The
people here do know how to make YOU
feel at home
Wounded at Arras
Sergeant MacWhte Joined the legion
in France at the outbreak Of the war
My only fighting experience was such
as a man gets around an Irish village
but I've learned some since. was
wounded in the early mX-up at Arras
They got me we'll and sent me to Az
geria, then the Dardenelles, then Ser
bia
He was decorated for opening route
through a fortified village for the re-
treating Serbian army. The day be-
fore, in rcarguard action, his little
command of thirty-two was reduced tc
five With the survivors he was sent
to certain death against deploved
battalion OF Bulgariaps
I've caught them in among some
hedges and finished thirty or forty with
the bavonet," he said. "Three hundred
surrendered and the rest broke and
gave us the right-of- way. And. it's
klnd of funny when you stop to think
OF 1t. but none of us was even
Wounded.'
Lieutenant Jean Cru served as 2
lasson officer with the British and
later with the Americans.
Served With Americans
II was attached TO your 18th Reri
ment on the night OF the first rea
German attack he said Your how.
mad Just gone in to relieve anothe,
regiment when the Roche came Twr