The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-06-01
UNKNOWN HERO
WINS CITATION
French Unable to Learn Identity
OF Soldier Who Gave Life
for Country.
REFUSES TO SAVE HIMSELF
With Pipe in Mouth He tranquil.
Picks Off German After German
Until He Falls, RiddIed With
Bullets.

6uIlSt8s
With the French Armies.-To th,
S~eventy-ninth French regiment Of in
fantry belongs the honor Of the onl,
citation in the present war to IAN Un
known Soldier"
The crOix de guerre, which the cita
ton merited, and which In view OF. the
hero's death would ordinarily be giver
by the French, government to the sol
dier,s nearest relatives, lies unclaimed
at the ministry Of war at Paris. All
that is known of the man Is the man
ner of his death and the fact that he
Is buried where he fell on the heights
] Of Saint Epvre.
The story of this unknown soldier
is unquestionably the story of thous-
andsH of other French heroes in the ear
ly days of the war before means of
Identification of the dead had been es-
tablished and when regiments were
hurriedly formed, thrown into action
and decimated before a soldier knew
the name of the comrade fighting at
his side.
Story of Heroism.
The only difference is that this "un-
known soldier received a citation for
his life's sacrifice and the others did
not.
This is the story:
On August 26, 1914, during the fore
noon, the First battalion of the Seven
ty-ninth regiment of infantry, which
had been decimated at Morhange, was
hastily reformed in the vicinity of
Observation-Disclosures from a contin-
gent of reserves which had been
rushed up.
That evening before the original
members of the battalion had had time
ever to get acquainted with their new
comrades, the battalion was engaged
by the Germans in a violent surprise
attack on the heights of the farm of
Saint-Eypre, near Luneville.
About five in the afternoon the adj
vanced line Of the battalion took shell
ter back of a little ridge, which pro-
tected it from the Germans, who were
only 100 yards ahead. A veritable
storm, both Of rifle and artillery fire,
whistled constantly over the heads Of
~ 1CASl
Suddenly, from out of the ranks Of
the Third company, an unknown re-
~servist, who had just arrived that
morning, leaped to the summit Of the
little ridge under which the battalion
was resting.
Dropping to his knees, with a pipe
hanging from his mouth, he began
to fire shot after shot into
ranks Of the Germans, just 100
yards ahead.
CONSERVATION reigned in the ranks
ninth. Then, the officers recovering
rom their surprise, loudly ordered the
nan back into ranks.
Refused to Save Self.
But the latter, without ceasing for
IN instant his firing and without even
lropping his pipe from his mouth, bel
owed back: -
Leave me alone. I'm an expert :
narksman and I want to do something
or my country while I have such a
ne chance to do it." |
From the very first instant Of his ap-
earance on the summit of the ridge the
life fire of the entire regiment Of Ger
lans was centered on him. Yet for a
I'LL five minutes he continued tran
uilly to fire with sure aim into their
anks before he finally fell riddled
18th bullets, the stock of his rifle shat
,red into %splinters and his pipe
from his mouth as he rolled
yer on the ground.
A moment afterward, the Seventy
nth leaped again to the assault and
owe the Germans down the ridge.
That night the Se%venty-ninth buried
leir hero on the summit of the ridge
here he had fallen. There was moth :
g about his person to indicate his :
entity. His deed of heroism vas sig p
lied to the ministry Of war. The min
Of war did everything in it's pow
to identify the soldier, but without
suits. Unwilling hat the sacrifice
lould go ~unrecorded, the citation was
anted in the name of "An Unknown