The Weston leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 189?-1946, 1918-12-13
SMITH AND TUCKER DODGE
the SHELLS OF the HUN
Caring for Wounded not a Sale and
Restiul Occupation Busy Days.

Sergeant Elmer Tucker, doing ilelu
hospital work with the S6lst lnfan.
try, rubbed elbows with Death for
many days on the western front
prior TO the armisticc, This is the
hardest kind of service, ms men IN.
gagged in il are fought without be-
ing able to fight back, Lieutenant
Smith has sent home to Mrs, Smith
what amounts TO really thrilling
narrative, although in bald diary
form. He and Sergeant Tucker
have been nearly always together.
The Leader prints below the record
OF only few typical days, selected
at random from the diary, II is
evident that these two Weston sol.
diers have seen war In its grimmcst
aspect;
September Is and 20 Moved TO
Very to iill gap during day, bar.
rage thrown over by our guns was
something terrific. A continuous
flame half circled the horizon and
the roar Of the guns was constant,
rising and falling in volume like
} waves or varying wind, Although
, we were two or three miles behind
the lines, guns were firing from all
around us and for miles back.
When we went over No Mans Land
about noon il was some scene OF
deSolation. II looked rs though It
would be- impossible TO crowd in
, more distinct shell holes. The
trees were all cut down, Nothing
but short bushes remained for at
least a mile and a.half back Of the
main front line trench of the Ger.
mans. Their trenches were wreck
ed. Little narrow gauge railways
they had been using for three years
or more TO keep up their supplies
were destroyed by the shells. II
looked as though human life were
impossible in such an Inferno, yet
a few machine gunners were en-.
countered by our doughboys when
they went over the top. Most OF
the Germans were done for, though,
and no very serious resistance was
met with until they reached a point
between Very and EpinonviIlc,
where machine gun nests and snip
ers held up the rush. when the
Second Battalion went into action
} the second day. We lay at night
|, in cold trenches in the Forest De
Hesse, without overcoats or blan.
kets, being part Of the divisions
reserve. In hurrying up to the
front on September 26 we got lost
} in the woods with a company Of
machine gunners and wandered con.
siGerably, so that when We joined
the battalion at Very that night the
hiking and the dysentery ! contract.
ed from exposure just about had
) my goat. AS we marched out to
start for the front We were under
fire in the Forest De Hesse. Just
as the Medical Detachment, almost
at the end Of the column. was pass
ing a crossroads. German airplanes
overhead signalled their artillery
and about four big shells whizzed
by US, striking some so yards be-
yond. sure wanted to lie down.
but couldn't very we'll set such an
example to the boys, so busted my
self hustling them out. Of a ditch
back down the road.
September 30-All ambulatory
patients were started back at day.
light. Hospital corps men were
all in. Band detail worked fine.
Many badly wounded litter cases.
fractures, abdominal and chest
wounds, shrapnel and high explo.
sive over entire body. Our troops
advanced some three quarters Of Il
mile and were withdrawn last even
ing to 200 and 300 yards in advance
Of station. Shelling along road and
through timber every hour and
more frequently during day. One
she'll came close enough in the air
to jostle me, falling about 80
yards away and wounding one boy
on the road. Covered windows
with tar paper and had candles and
fire at night. DIR. Coleman argued
strenuously as to necessity for hav-
ing station in such a trap so near
the front but consented to stay
over. Relieved in morning after
usual barrage during night. The
3l6th Engineers sent company up
to help evacuate wounded. Also
made use Of supply wagon to get
out one load.
October 9--At set hour regiment
advanced. Sent with Field Artillery
detachment and two litter squads
for each battalion. Attack began
Just as | reached Third Battalion
Sergeant Tucker with me. Detach.
ment left, and Elmer and started
back to other detachments left up
a. GttHIAf1Ip