Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-04-10
COL. RICHARDS RETURNS
TO COMMAND 18TH REG,
Enthusiastic Reception Greets
Commander Upon His Return
From School for Colonies.
Captain Sharpe Speaks.

Few officers, returning to their COM
mande ever received a more cordial Wei
come than the. one given Col. George G.
Richards uponh is arrival at camp last
Friday night. AS the big car, carrying
the returning Colonel and a party that
included Major Smathers, captain James
C. Shaw and Captain Rasseias w. Brown
swept up and came to standstiH in
front of Headquarters, officers OF the
regiment cheered and the 1I2th Regi-
mbental Band played one or it's old-time
marches with more feryor than ever be-
fore
Col Richards smiled as he stepped from
the car and grasped the hands of the Of
ficers nearest him.
Delighted to BE Back.
II am sure that no one is more anxious
TO get back than | am" ne said. The
question was whether | was going to get
back or not. That 1t is I pleasure to get
back to take command of this regiment Is
putting it mildly. 1t has been the thing
that has been lying in my heart very
heavily
of the officers are now undergoing the
ordeal of examination by an Efficiency
Board Just how well finished, | do not
know, but / am back here with you again,
and | hope to remain here and do my bit
whether it is little or much, in the in
terests of the 112th Infantry and the
service in general surely do thank you
with an open heart"
Then. before Col. Richards could make
an exit through the many officers who
surrounded him to shake hands. Cap
tain Reuben J. Sharpe, eloquent speaker
and officer of Company Il, said!
az have been assigned one of the proud
est missions of my life, to say few words
of welcome to you on behalf OF the oiflcers
and the enlisted men of the regiment
When you left here we were very much
tiownhearted. to think nad lost you,
and there Is an old saying that the true
measure of a mans greatness ana the eX-
tent Of the love in which ne Is heia IS
only measured by the void left on his
departure. And there certainly was
great void when you les.
Hopeful All the Time.
1--WE were sustained IN the thousht,
however that you would be sent back to
MS We fully realized our loyalty and our
fealty to you. We all carried on the work
with the sole object of trying to do 1t the
way the Colonel would have 1t II ne were
here That was our loyalty
II heard a little story the other Gay
The story is that of grenaqier OF Ma
poleon, who was wounded at the battle OF
Austerlitz He was shot in the chest, but
as he Law unconscious, the physician be-
gan probing for the bullet. Suddenly he
opened his eyes probe a little deeper.
he said. gasping, and yon on, WI ma the
away we carried on the work as you
would have us do because we carried
your image in our hearts We We're sus-
tanned by the lofty ideals OF military pear
ing. military culture and practice, and II
surely is one of the proudest moments of
the lives Of these officers TO be able to
welcome you back to your command, and
once again enjoy your guidance ana e%-
perience We feel safe lad sure that we
can go over the top and put it across un-
der your direction. We all welcome you
"oId cray Mare" Played.
Then the band, at signal from Chief
Musician Roy Miller. struck up 'The Ole
Gray Mare" with al its time honored va
riations, to the delight of the Command
ing Officer following it with an old border
march and then the national anthem