The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-27
PHONE DIRECTORY GIVES BOYS CHEER
 AS THEY 4PLAY''
 CALLING UP HOME
Private Mcdaniel Home From France With Some Good Trench Stories
 and Souvenirs

Private James W. McDaniel of Com pany D. 167th infantry. Rainbow division, who was gassed at Chateau Thierry has returned to the states for treatment. During the holiday he is the guest or his sister. Mrs. George Schwartz, while awaiting orders from the department at Washington.
 Although he has been in France for the past IA months and has seen active serv- ice on number of the largest fronts where the 42d division was cited for bravery on several occasions, he is most modest in talking of his experiences Private McDaniel wears a red cord which was presented to the members of this division after 1t received seven citations for bravery as well as ribbon for serv- ice in the second battle of the Marne and another designating he was wounded while fighting with the French, a wound stripe and two service stripes.
 ''The l67th regiment has been In active service since July" stated Private Me Daniel, being out of the trenches for only few days at time. The 42d divi- sion remained in the trenches longer than any other division ever did, and the men were always ready and most anx- ious to go over the top. Our division had lost comparatively few men until the engagement at Chateau Thierry when approximately 10000 were killed. That was one of the bloodiest fights we had and it was there that we went over without any barrage.
 MINDLESS PEOPLE LIBERATED
 "At St. Mihiel more than 50o0 French men women and children were liberateo by the Americans, and large numpe. of these had their hands cut orr. several of the Americans went up and oIIereu to shake hands with them, Tor tnis wao the only way we had of showing them we were glad we had liberated them' as we couldn't speak French, ana thoso who had not lost hand would give ua their left hands for they thought w were going to cut them off as the 1e. mans had done and they preferred to ,ose tbair left rather than their right hand. When they learned we were tneir friends and were not going to harm them in any way they could not do enough for us. Although we suffered many hardships and at time were very unhappy there was some pleasures intermixeu, es- pecially when we received iet.ers iioN' home and newspapers which showed us how the folk at home were backing us up'
 TELEPHONE DIRECTORY
 .1 carried q Birmingham teie-
 phone directory to France with me
 ma durfnr the time we were m
 the trenches waiting orders to go
 oxer II was a source of great
 uleaxure to the men in our com
 many. One of the boys wOulo scs
 central while one would LOOK up
 tba nhome number of loved ones
 ma friends at home and then CHI
 them while some other boy SSoulu
 answer, pretending to De fne one
 c,IIsa- This may sound very silly
 to you people at home. but II kePt
 many of the boys cheerful when
 thev would have been sad ana
 bomesick. | also picked up brick
 inst before I went on board thc
 shin at New York and kept It with
 me for nine mon-is. When the
 boys would get hOmesick and biue
 they would often come anu ask
 mo to let them see the rock which
 came from home nnd Gods coun-
 try"
 Private McDaniel had among his sou yenirs a postcard from French girl who was just learning to speak Eng fish. and was dated November IS. This is what she wrote him: Since three days 1t Is feast in Paris. DO aii what you can to come. I love very much. One thousand kisses" Accord. ing to this young hero. about 1O.ooo American men have married French Girls.
 He states cha ampagne was very cheaE in France and notwithstanding this fact he declares he never saw more than three drunken men during his stay there.
 Among many other souvenir brought back with him, Private Me- Daniel has German helmet, rifle and sabre. which he got at Chateau Thierry. The helmet is one of those the Germans had intended to wear into Paris. He declares the American soldiers would go out on the battle- field following battle and look for iron crosses. This decoration was prized most highly by the German soldiers and 1t was for this reason that the Sammies liked to find them.
 PASSED PRESIDENTIAL SHIP
 This young soldier came over or the Leviathan. the largest vessel afloat. waich arrived in New York las; week with 1000 soldiers and 11,00o sailors When this ship passed the George Washington bearing President Wilson and his party to France, a salut. was fired and the men on board stood at attention as they passed.
 When asked if he was glad to get back home. young McDaniel declared | <~R T. .fv1rr fv,