The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-07-12
OKLAHOMA MAJOR
CARRIES MESSAGE
UNDER HUNS FIRE
Former Federal Attorney Sees
Real Warfare in France.

scription OF grave personal dangers, al
most unbelievable, yet through which
many are forced to undergo in helping
10 make the world safe for democracy
is contained in a letter from Maj. Alex
Johnson, former federal probate attor-
ney at Okniulgee to his father and
mother Senator and Mrs. s. L. John
son. Major Johnson is brother to
Brgadicr General Hugh 5. Johnson
and is well known in this city.
I'VE are at the front and ! have been
under fire" writes Major Johnson. The
first town we went to was only shor,
way from the front, and that is where
! saw the air fight. That town was
bombed the night before we got there
and was too hot and we moved out at
noon of the same day.
Carried Dispatch.
~ also saw a German plane directly
over us that was driven off by aircraft
guns. Aeroplanes fly over our present
headquarters BY the score. II is great
60 see them circle low almost TO the
roofs and pop messages in tubes.
Last Sunday / did a thing that !
will not do again unless ordered Our
division had suffered some losses. A
message was TO he delivered TO a unit
of ours in the first line OF battle, no
trenches, open warfare. volunteered
20 take il and did so went in the side
car over three miles of road exposed
10 the Germans and over half n mile
OF road actually being shelled at the
tina
Cut OFF BY, BaIrage.
-I got over o. k, and arrived In a
little village now famous for the de-
tense made by the unit was taking a
message TO. ! can't mention the name
of it, but you sure have read OF it. When
got into this town that the Germans
were bombing heavily, | found that the
first building went into was full OF
shell holes, shrapnel and shells burst
ing all around it so that the headquar-
tiers had been moved
81 delivered my message, but two mo-
torcyccs had entered the town immc-
diately after me, and therefore, Mr.
Boche put on machine gun barrage
fore on the only road | had out as he
wanted to cut off connections with tse
outside.
at is impossible to pass through a
barrage OF that kind as it is wall OF
2 streaming lead and iron, so waited in
a concrete gangway for my call till
Mr.. Boche cut out the machine gun fire
I saw lots OF dead, dying and wounded
French soldiers. It was sure the hot
test place | ever was in, and while |
wouldn't do it again | wouldn't have
missed it for anything,
Saw Real Warfare.
"l saw the real warfare, but as Meade
said, 81 had enough" unless sent again
on duty. Houses were burning, trees,
houses and chimneys were shot down.
Shrapnel and shells were bursting in
the streets and all around me / waited
there over an hour for the machine gun
barrage to let up so that could make
dash for the outside in my side car.
when il did, they occasionally used
shells and shrapnel but | made the
start about p. m. We got through
all right, but some of these things burst
too close to be pleasant.
@Then on the way back six French
men stopped me when ! was going about
sixty miles an hour | had to stop be-
cause | thought they might be trying
to warn me that the boche had taken
the town that | was headed for. But
all they wanted to know was whether
the boche had yet taken the town had
come from.
The Frenchmen stopped me In a lit
lie settlement en- route and we attract
ed so much attention that when we
started on the road the Germans let
some chance shots fly at us as we
drove on. had a game driver with
me and we simply varied our speed
fast, then slow, then fast again, so the
Germans couldn't get Our running
range and we-made it through
Gee, it was exciting, and the whole
unit (what was left of them that car
ried the message TO were cited for
bravery. volunteered 10 do it, as
some one had to, but | "have had
enough" unless conditions arise that
would make II necessary again. An
other major had volunteered the night
before. and he, too, had got all he
wanted. You needn't worry il is done
and over knew | wouldn't be sat
isfied until | had seen some real war
fare, so it had to be done.
Many French Soldiers.
can't write you all the things that
] have seen on account OF the censor,
but sure will have a lot to tell you
when | see you When we came into
this town we passed through thousands
of refugees and ! have seen French
soldiers pass going out by the tens Of
thousands
Our office is the home of a refugee.
left on account OF the closeness of the
boohe | am writing on table in this
house that is my desk. They left so
hurriedIy that unwashed dishes are in
the cupboard Their cat and kittens
are here and gave them the food that
was left. One cute little kitten Just
jumped upon my leg and up to the
table and is now playing with my coat
sleeve and walking over this letter,
hence the blurs on it, have had my
sergeant water lot OF fine plants and
flowers that the family left when they
left the house.
y. We don't know how long we will
stay here, as we are always under or
ders TO move on a moments notice
HlN -------w.as-
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