Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-16
:HATTON BOY
TE;ILSOF WORK
OF MARINES
Albert 7. Mastrud, 10 Year
old Mariner, Had Glori-
Gus Experience.
BY e. II. TOsTEvIN.

year Ola marine from 6atCOn, N. D.,
described for me this after
made history when the United States
forces taught the Germans that they
could and would fight, by demon
strating their ability at Bouresche,
woods, and Chateau Thierry,
in the early days Of June.
THE force I was in" said young
Mastrud, reached Bouresche as the
French were drawing back. Their
line became u first line and
then we moved opposite the town of
Bouresche which was nearly a mile
long"
There was no bravado about the
way this chap told his story, just
straightforward, honest, western
candidness, with a smile or two over
his luck in coming through it all. I
was from his home state and he had
read articles I had written and he
wanted me to tell the story for him.
I'VE started out in broad-day-l;ght,
at 6 o'clock in the evening mind you,
and we took the ding-busted town be-
fore night. The fourth platoon and
the second platoon were assigned to
the work of taking the machine guns
which the Germans had at the edge
machine gun emplacements I nave
ever seen anywhere. We didn't have
time to think about danger. and we
just went to it. It certainly was lots
of nerve, but we went acros that
open space and straight at the ma
chine guns. The Heinies kept firing
at us until we got to about $50 yards
from them and then they picked up
as many machine guns as they could
and beat it. I was one of the first
five to enter the town from the right,
while fourteen other fellows went in
on the left. Il
1.-The Germans had machine guns
in church steeples, in the windows of
houses and they had whole snipers
galore everywhere. 1t was tough go
ing alright, but we captured twenty
they had been using on u.s."
You have already read the cabled
reports Of how these troops marched
right up to the machine guns,
grabbed the muzzles with their
hands and turned them around. I
have seen and talked with the chap
who in doing a trick like that put his
gun and had seven bullets go through
his palm. III
'sThat night" said Mastrud, 1--WE
took a bunch Of machine guns out
about 800 yards beyond the town and
waited for the counter attack. We
waited, alright, waited until they got
within 200 yards and then let drive
before they knew we were anywhere
around. We sure got 'beaucoup'
the next counter attack we had
dropped back to the edge of the
eyes it takes CUTS to do It. this
going up to a machine gun on a
frontal attack. You see 1nen drop
ping all around you and you think
you haven't got a chance anyway, and
then Q think well they haven't got
me yet, maybe I'll get BY" he said.
going to get there and about that
time you get so boiling, ding-busted
mad that you don't care what hap
pens. If you've got a good mar to
lead you, you'll go anywhere. Oh!
Well! You don't get much time for
thinking. Il
but say boy, maybe you think we
Take our lieutenant in our platoon.
He got hit seven times by machine
gun bullets but Lieut.. Murray just
kept right on going at the head of
our platoon, clear into h town be-
fore he would stop. Next day he was
a helpless cripple but with chances
Of recovery" This chap as we'll as
all the OLllcIS I'LL LL1o 4IlAA lac u
loyal beyond description to their Of
ficers.
II saw Lieutenant Leonard leading
his platoon for the German machine
guns on that charge. He lead his
men clean to the guns and lost q lot,
but after his bunch got there they
never had a man hurt in h bayonet
scrap with the Heinies. I don't be-
lieve there were more than ten men
xr,@<h hSvo -hou hA reached thu Ter.
mans eithr."
Mastrud laughed. Gee but we
had a good feed that night. We had
been Watching the Dutch all day, and
every once in a while we could hear
them butchering cattle o pigs. The
fhouse I hit that night had half a pig
still roasting with the fire still going.
the company, corn woolly and hard
ltack (corn woolly and red horse are
synonymous and translated mean
corned beef, canned), but that fresh
meat. and hot, just as though we'd
ordered 1t, sur tasted dingbusted
good.
How'd you ever get Through that
II didn't" and the boy laughed
lagain. II had a high explosive shell
hit my pack cut the right shoulder
Istrap and tear it of. The buddy next
Ito me got 1t in seven places in the
Elegs. Well they put a machine u
tlet through the top and peak of my
IEhelmet, but I never .fouhd that out
luntil after we hit the town. Course
lit sorta shocked me. q bit when I had
my pack torn OF. but I came to and
went on"
One little incident illustrates two
Things. how secure the Germans fanc-
lied themselves and the inventive Or
Ingenious mind, Of the Americans.
The Germans had a big herd of
cattle In the field over which Mast
lrud's company crossed on tho brave
land thrilling dash for the machine
gums. These cattle were killed.
IWounded men made use Of the dead
I~carcaases as shelter. II was mighty
funny to see those buddies drawing
Eup back Of those dead COWS More
smachine gun bullets would hit the
I$dead animals and throw blood all
lover the wounded.
.sBut say, i found my pAcksthe next
day. II weighed enough ON some OF
the hikes We were on, I thought. but
Esyou ought to have lifted II when
Hound It. TIL bet It had nifty pounds
,EofS lead and shrapnel In Il"
This force left Bourosche two days
Mater and moved up to the Relleau
woods It was there that Mastrud
land ssveral1 other boys got their $.
Yop haye heard ! lot about thi.
,thght' Well you could not he4r stod
tmuch.% Every BUDDY 4 pretts
5Iinuoh4 the anne stoly . An4t1ad
The boys In this historic anAir. ars