The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-12-21
RAY KECK IS IN
MARCH TO Rhine

Ray Keck. OF this city, writes from
Calmus. in the Duchy OF Luxembourg,
that he is with the army Of occupation
and is marching toward the Rhine.
In letter written to his wife on
Thanksgiving day, he says:
Our division marched on Sedan
and took 1t the day before the arms
tice was signed. Our division is the
ace division Of the American army
and has made great record for a
fighting unit. OF course now we are
in the army of occupation and are
marching to the Rhine, do not know
how long we will De here, but I i'm
agine we will be on our way home
about the first Of March. We came q
bit too fast from Sedan, SO we are
resting here until Monday
We are going to have little
Thanksgiving dinner today. about ten
of us. The captain went out yester-
day and bought two geese and they
cost him SIC apiece. Some price for
geese, but we had to have something
extra for today"
Keck encloses in his letter an order
addressed to his division, the AID, by
Mapor General Charles r. Menoher.
The order follows:
II wish to express to you my APP
probation OF the unfailing spirit OF
courage and cheerfulness with which
You have met and overcome the diff
ficult tasks which have confronted
you.
Upheld y. S. Honor.
after leaving Chateau Thierry you
had scarcely been assembled In your
area when you were ordered to adj
vance by hard night marches to par
ticipate in the attack on the st. Mihiel
salient In the battle that followed
you took every objective in accordance
with the plans of the army comman-
der. You advanced fourteen klome-
tiers in % hours. You took more than
1000 prisoners from nine enemy di-
visions. You captured seven villages
and AZ square kilometers of the terri
tory.
Worn though you were, by cease
less campaigning since February. you
were then moved to the Verdun re-
gion. You took Hill 2S8, La Tuillerie
ldIlu huu Tue SOIc uc Su0IAllAOA dAA
broke squarely across the powerful
Kriemhilde Stellung, clearing the way
for the advance beyond st. Georges.
You drove the enemy across the
Meuse. You captured the height DOM
mating the river before Sedan and
reached in the enemy lines the far
thest point by any American troops.
Whatever may come in the future,
the men of this division will have a
pround consciousness that they have
fought wherever the American flag
has flown most gloriously in this war.
You have struck a vital blow in the
greatest war of history. You have
proved in no mean way that your
country can defend it's own. You have
performed your duties we'll, you have
met without fear or hesitation the diff
fculties that were encountered. From
now on your services will not be con-
sidered from performance in battle
alone, but from your soldierly bear
ing and your gentlemanly conduct,
and as an example of the ideals and
standards of the free government for
which you fought. AS you proceed
along the march to the Rhine you will
be under the observation of a con-
quered, but yet military people You
have not failed in the duties exacted
from you in the past, and it is not ex-
pected that you will fail in the obliga-
lions which you must perform in the
future