The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-04-19
UNKNOWN
AWARDED
WAR CROSS
by HENRY WOOD

United Press Starr COrrespohuent)
With the French Armies, March 5.
(By MaiD TO the Seventy-ninth
French regiment of Infantry belongs
ne honor of the only citation in
the present war to an Unknown
Soldier"
The Croix de Guerre, which the
citation merited and which in view
of the hero's death would ordinarily
be given by the French government
to the soldiers nearest relatives, lies
unclaimed at the Ministry of war at
Paris. All that is known of the man
is the manner of his death and the
fact that he is buried where he fell
on the heighth of Saint EpYre.
The story of this "Unknown Sol
der" is unquestionably the story of
thousands OF other French heroes in
the early days of the war before
means Of identification of the dead
had been established and when reg
iments were hurridly formed, thrown
into action and decimated before a
soldier knew the name Of a comrade
fighting at his side.
The only difference is that this
Unknown Soldier" received a cita.
tion for his life's sacrifice and the
others did not.
This is the story.
On August 26, 1914, during the
forenoon, the First Battalion of the
Seventy-ninth Regiment of Infantry,
which had been decimated at Nor
hange was hastily reformed in the
vicinity Of Rosieeres-aux-Salines
from a contingent of reserves which
had been rushed up.
That evening before the original
members Of the battalion had had
time to even get acquainted with
their new comrades, the battalion
was engaged by the Germans in a
violent surprise attack on the
heights of the Farm in Saint-Epvre
near LuneYille.
About in the afternoon, the ad
vanced line of the battalion took
shelter back of a little ridge which
protected 1t from the Germans who
were only hundred yards ahead. A
veritable storm both of rifle and ar
tillery fire whistled constantly over
the heads OF the sheltered French
battalion.
Suddenly, from out of the ranks
Of the Third company an unknown
reseryist who had just arrived that
morning, leaped to the summit OF
the little ridge under which the ba-
taiiion was resting.
Dropping to his knees, with a pipe |
hanging from his mouth, he began |
TRANQUILITY firing shot after shot in.
to the ranks of the Germans just |
100 yards ahead.
CONSERVATION reigned in the ranks
of the First Battalion of the Seventy
ninth. Then the officers, recovering
from their surprise loudly ordered
the mar back in,o ranks.
But the latter, without ceasing for
an ms M his firing, and without
even Urol ping his pipe from his
mouth, beloved back:
Leave me alone. I'm an expert
and | want to do some
thing for my country while ! have
such a fine chance to do it.
From the very first instant of his
apparition of the summit OF the
ridge the rifle fire of the entire reg
iment of the Germans was centered
OH him. Yet for a full five minutes
he continued to TRANQUILITY fire with
sure aim, before he finally fell rid
died with bullets. the stock of his
rifle shattered into splinters and his
knocked from his mouth as he rolled
over on the ground.
moment afterwards, the Seventy
Ieaped again to the assault and
irove the Germans back down the
ridge That night the seventy-ninth
buried their hero on the summit of the
ridge where he had fallen. There
was nothing about his person to in.
iicate his identity. His deed of
leroism was signaled to the Ministry
If War. The Ministry of War did
everything in its power to identity
he soldier but without results. I'm
gilling that the sacrifice should go
the citation was granted
n the name of the Unknown Sol.
lier.'