The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-19

/ the point beyond where the Teuton
! hordes were striving to make secure
/ their foothold across the Marine and
the weary French needed help to stem
the rush and throw them back. And
behind this splendid. gray haired figure
Htridlne through the dust flowed his
reg ment, officers and men. rank on
rank, There was no sign Of slack
enins or hesitation. How could there
he with such leader? No man would
drop out who could stili push one foot
before another beneath the weight Of
BIS pack. Hardly a man had dropped
out during those three weary days
and nights
+ The faces Of the boys--most OF them
seemed little more than boys--were
weary faces They were ashy gray,
but only because the dust lay thick
upon them The eyes showed no sign
OF fear. They were typical young
Americans, lean. vigorous. alert On
their faces shone a great determina-
/ sion Not sn eye waVered, though
shoulders might sag bit beneath
the heavy pack. They had come a long
way. and were more tired than men
should be. but they were ready 70
meet Heinie just as soon as they could
get 10 him There was no hesitation,
no tagging in those ranks,
Now and aeain song would start
up timed to the shuttle of marching
Gangs All Here" Though sung with
vim the sounds came from husky
threats and soon died away One
saw no smiles and heard no laughter
one does not Joke after a forced march
extending over three DAYS. And these
boys realized the task ahead OF them
and knew 1t 70 he no Joking matter
They were pouring into the maelstrom
~ terrific conflict not lightly, care
lessly. without understanding, but
steadfastlr, couraEeously. with their
eyes wide open and looking unwaver-
lngly ahead
As the end Of the column neared me
a figure arrested my attention. The
uniform and the helmet were the
same He wore the same khaki. the
same FAT steel hat and was covered
with the same coating If dust. what !
made me notice him was that he bore
no gun He was bowed beneath a big
pack Of enormous proportion. larger !
than the packs borne hv the others He I
vAt a tan. slender chap, and seemed !
10 stsEEer beneath his load Then he I
stepped from the column and towards
me His hand sprank to salute and /
then reached towards me. a pair of
fne gray eyes looked into mine
Coffee For the Boys,
How are YOU he inquired.
! made out Red Triangle beneath
the dust gathered thick on his right
sleeve
What on earth. have you in that
pick. man. Why YOU look like a
camel" held his hand fast
on that's some coffee I'm trying
- take along for the BOYS"
He swung back into his place in
the column and disappeared with them
in cloud Of dust. leaving me 10 my
task Of helping with the "" canteen
that was being put in working order
beside that cross road close behind the (
front We We're staying with the
army that the soldiers Of France and
England and America might have
cup Of hot coffee or chocolate, bis T
cult or sandwich. and word of well
come and eneoura cement as they
pa ssed
This incident it seemed to me typi- /
f'st the quality and spirit Of the +
leadership in the United States army.
the steadfastness Of the men, and the .
spirit Of the service of the Y. NJ c. A. !
The men who had been at this post
for several DAYS told me also Of the .
American machine gun company which J
had arrived before the German rush /
and had been even partially checked I
These Yankees had been on the train
for two days. with limited food and
with little chance TO rest without
paus7ne for rest they had pushed
straight for the Marine and got their /
guns into position Before many
minutes the German waves swept
down on them, and there they lay
and pumped lead into them. Rank
after rank of Teuton infantry was
swept away before the deadly hail OF
this American machine gun battery
supported by French infantry After
two hours of vain effort the Germans
gave 40 the attack and drew back.
The men ] found laboring beneath
the si2n ~ the Red Triangle at this
cressroad were veterans Of this struE-
gle having been in it from the be-
ginning, Some Of them were Ameri-
/ cans. other French. All we're attached
TO the Foyer, du Soldat, as the branch
Of the American Y. NJ c. a. operat-
! ing with the French army is termed,
Literally. Foyer du Soldat" means
/ home for the soldier, and. literally.
their work is to make homes for the
soldiers close Behind the front
/ These Red Triangle workers had
been scattered all along the front
i from Scissors to Rheims and had
been caught An the full fury OF the
! German drive. They had come hack
! with the troops under severe shellhre
and during the retirement had lost one
/ American worker and had another
slightly wounded. One French worker
was severely wounded and several
partly gasscd. But there had been
no pause in their work,
Most Of them had lost all their per
sonal possessions, in addition to their
supplies ana equipment Yet they
7 somehow managed to carry on. When
ever their troops paused near town
they would set mp stand gathering
supplies from house to house Where
the villagers Vet remained they pur-
chased chocolate, coffee, bread and
cheese. Where they had fed. aban-
donine all TO the oncoming Germans.
the supplies were. foraged for the use
Of the troops. In normal times food
and not drinks are sold to the soldier
at cost, but in hours OF stress all avail
able supplies are given freely.
The men we found at work at this
little crossroads village close behind
the front had been iaboring under ter
rife stress all day and far into the
night for a week Three Americans
and three FrenChmen. they had work d
on together In the interests of the com
mon cause. serving the troops OF all
one point 10 another they had not
come In for new orders and new sup
plies but had found a vacant store
room fitted ii roughly. purchased
chocolate and coffee and gone to work
serving hot drinks to the marching
troops
We had driven down from headquar-
ters 20 bring supplies, money and
men The very camionette in which
a. -