Evening star., 1918-06-16

the cOlOHel commanding d FFchCH III
fantry regiment which participated"
with us deemed it only natural
routine to cite Americans for yalor
along with his own Frenchmen.
II visited the Remieres wood after
the counter attack in which the posi-
land examined the situation in detail.
Ny investigation shows that the
American soldiers. despite two hours
heavy rbombardment by large-caliber
guns, defended themselves magnifi-
Gently. In the vicinity of Layon, be-
munication trench connecting jury
and Remieres, where their machine
guns made particular havoc, two
American gunners died fighting on
their weapons, after covering the
ground around them with German
dead.
In one place an American section.
separated into small groups, was cut
off during the whole day. Behind
them and on their left flank were
German units, but they could have re-
tired on their right. Yet they decid-
incessant enemy bombardment and
rifle fire. Numerous hand-to-hand
combats made the long struggle par
ticularly savage. A bunch of Ameri-
cans, slowly retiring. found several
cases of grenades, with which they
ouSCeeucu III putting UP d HSnt anu
holding out during the entire day
Summoned to surrender, they refused,
and at the end, when finally relieved
only nine survived out of twenty
three.
Those nine-they want their croix
de guerre.
And the ambulance men who are be-
ing continually cited in French army
orders. They all belong to our Army
now, though many won their bit of
French ribbon before America en-
tered the war. Only yesterday, in a
single section. two lieutenants (who
were wounded), one private (who was
killed) and ten other privates, half
Of whom had their automobiles badly
damaged during the most intense
bombardment," won their croix de
guerre with absolute contempt for
duty" Il quote from the French cita-
tion.)
They want that croix de guerre. It's
theirs.
They want to take it home and show
it to their folks-the actual emblem
them. 1t is souvenir. a kind of
sacred thing. Other men may have
the legion of honor. That's all
right. Others have the British
D. S. o., or even the V. C. It's all
right. Others have our own proud
d. S. c. or D. S. NJ. It's all right.
But this thing which the French
colonel pinned upon them represents
a memory-they want it!
Imagine the feelings of the III men
of the 104th Regiment (Massachu-
setts) decorated with the croi& de
guerre in the Apremont affair. To
each it represents the hour, in blast
ing battle, when all that was best in
them rose to superhuman sacrifice
and triumph. Also, it represents the
glorious day when, to the strains of
the "Star Spangled Banner" and the
"Marseillaise," punctuated by the
boom of German guns, each man re-
ceived his croix and handshake-
from the French general. and another
handshake and congratulatory words
from his own general.
Why, one gallant fellow (Sergt.
Corbett) was SO worked up by emo
tion that he, who had been hero in
the trenches, actually tainted as the
bit of ribbon was pinned on him!
Imagine the feelings of George
B of st. Louis, a private of
German ancestry. When he and his
pal, an Irish-American, were fighting
in no mans land a shell tore off the
latfer's leg above the ankle. George
took up his injured comrade, made
a tourniquet which saved his life.
gathered in the dismembered leg
and carried the whole business 300
yards under fire to a dressing station.
There he remarked. Here's the leg,