The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-04
WATCHED mo RTH
DAKOTA BOYS IN
MARCH TO FIRST
LINE RENCRES
Tostevin Says Troops Were
Mostly Regrlla lars, Train
ed TO, Perfection
d,
DESCRIBES BIT
OF TRENC CH LIFE;
inspector Major Says Ger
man Gunnegs Not in
American Glass
DESCRIBES BIT
OF TREN CHI LIFE.
(Ry z. ii. Tos4evfn.)

{ Somewhere in France. April To-
ELast evening / was standing in the
scare du Est when one of the
smooth running little French looo-
motives snaked a long string OF din
ky "Hommey'' cars into the depot.
THE train debauched hundreds OF
american soldiers. 1t seemed.
They were bound for the British
front TO stand shoulder to shoulder
with the Canadians, the French, the
Brftishers, Australians. New Zeal
anders. Kilttes. They were the f1rst
men to be moved directly into ac-
tion. not over 36 hours after Gem
eFal Pershing made his famous Of
Ter of the American available forces
to be used at the direction Of the
Allies.
These boys were largely regulars
who had been in France for some
time. but there was q goodiy per-
ments, including North Dakota.
stood there with q friend observing
them, Nothing sulIen or. laggard
about that outfit. hut the very enl-
bodinent OF alert physical perfection.
Hello Togty," shouted someone
and ! half turned to see who was
scaling
'Heiio, flint 7 shouted back and
tsaa hurtled out of d box car door
and pushed his way through the
crowd to where I was standing. It
been transferred from tfle old 164th.
Cant tell you his last name.
/ How 3 things cptning2 he uueTied,
land then piled me with q rapid
tstring Of questions concerning the
aold First North Dakota and the
changes which have been made.
answered as best ] could. wondering
what made his voice so husky. And
then came my turn.
His story was something like this:
well, you see, we got into the new
loutflt and saw considerable duty up
front. The damned Dutch let drive
ia lot OF gas at us one day and 1t
igot lot OF the boys; killed some of
them and put a devil Of q. lot OF us
lin the hospital. That's what's the
matter with my voice. But we know
lbetter now. We had to have our
lesson.
4 Chunk Hacked Out Of He'll.
let me give 1t to you straight, :
The said. tYou know lot of us
Thought that the front and the firing
line was little chunk hacked out of
hell and set down in France. That's
1.-THE way it always looked to us when
I'VE pictured 1t after reading war de-
tscriptiona. Remember the Masonic
temple fire In Grand Forks back In
t191l? Well, that's an example. We
thought the country would be torn
to pieces just like that building was
by dire. Course any fire would serve
Has an example you get the idea.
we got up to the front and found
Ia lot OF trenches sure enough. There
were lot of buildings, wrecked. But
the grass was just as green and the
mud just the same, and the sky
overhead was just as bIue or just
as cloudy as any place else in
France. It was not such q great
change after all and we got over the
shakes and nerves and didn't take
it half seriously enough That's how
We got caught by gas. But. believe
me, were going to get them. Wish
that the United States had a million
more men over here. Why, say, it
seems that the boys from the states
have not got any fear at all. Prob
ably because they're fresh at the
game and don't know the nasty
work"
The FcaFern Voice.
sTIay. F'oghorn! C'merein lleyeli-
sd at d passing soldier.
Nov, listen to him. : he cautioned
Nne.
The chap came over to where we
Iswere standing.
sWhadaya want?" he croaixed.
Want to hear you talk, said Jim.
Aw. tie a. gas mask over your jaw.
I'il do my talking with my gum"
and he walked away.
But Jim had succeeded in what he
called HNogh0rn for, to demonstrate
what gas had done to him.
Eoghorn YVES q name we'll applied.
for the soldier he'd a voice way down
anto dhe lowest octave.
''Wait Till we get up thera The
talk about German military super
dority done scare us a'ny. The Ger
man soldier is simply forced into the
lights by the officers. know. Take
the way they've been marching 'em
into the scrap before Amiens. IN
column of squads and Just the kind
OF easy meat for che machine gum
mars. Some OF serE can shoot, but I,Il
bet the Americans can oIlt-shoot
Them ten TO one.
/ Well, slong, there's old Oui Oui
wllistIirg G'luck and say hello to
6he gang! And he Ieapsd up into
the box car door.
That's tlle way the American
Gorcaa went at the job OF Joining the
a1liad forces and lighting back the
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