Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-04-22
HOW IOWA BOYS WENT OVER TOP
By FRED S. FERGUSON.

the toll, the sacrifice and the confusion
of this war, you have not got thrill;
have not felt proud of the sort of men
living about you, have not been stirred
by the spirit of the men of Lexington
and of those who opened the west and
fought the civil war and still live
then you should see the American boys
go over the top.
You should talk to them upon their
return. Your respect for what is in
| the heart and soul of the man who left
the desk next to you, or fer the man
who moved out OF your block to come
over here, will become greater. And
you'll realize that in the farmer boy
you pass on the road you are passing
a hero, only to be put to the test
to show the qualities first displayed by
his grandfather or REORGANIZATION
who helped to build the nation.
An Iowa Boy.
1t was after the big raid against the
German lines of March 8. The United
Press automobile was hidden away be-
hind building. 1t was waiting for
an Iowa farmer He was sitting at a
rough wood table, writing out report
OF what had happened the night before,
for his superior officer. His lieuten-
ant-colonel called him Charlie" and
patted him affectionately on the Shout
der.
The Iowa farmer was Capt. Charles
Casey. His home is in Vilisca and he
is in the 16Sth Infantry. His massive
shoulders were bent far over the table
as he wrote plain colorless statement
to the effect that he and his men left
their trenches at sos the afternoon
before; that all detectives had been
reached, and that they had returned
to their own trenches on scheduled
time.
Through Hell of Fire.
How the men vaulted over parapets,
how they passed through hell of fire,
found the woods, trenches and dugouts
of the Germans demolished by artil-
lery; human flesh splattered against
the side of trees and hanging from
jagged limbs; how an airplane swoop-
ed down on them until the grinning
fang of the aviator plying his machine
gun could be seen-all this has been
told.
The boys who went through this are
simple farmer boys again, though in
uniform and in soldiers billet. The
men who led them are simply Ameri-
leans, such as live all about you.
Captain Casey has finished his re-
port. The United Press machine was
waiting to take him to a little shat
tered town farther back Of the lines
where he has bare room, the plaster
knocked from it's walls in spots, the
exterior knicked and torn. For time
it is home-a place to rest.
"All right, let's CO." and Casey hand
ed his report to the colonel, saluted
and started for the door.
Sending Boys Over.
1.-THE boys were great, weren't
they?" the Iowa farmer said, as the
car headed for the open road.
1T was the hardest thing ever did
in my life-that blowing the whistle
that sent them over. l know they
wanted to go, everyone of them. They
were spelling for it. But to look out
there, to know what they were going
into-by George, it was hard.
Were all from the same county,
you know And there wasn't yellow
one in the bunch. Two boys left be-
hind to see that every one went over
had nothing to do, and ran as hard as
they could from one dugout to another
on their inspection, SO they could
catch up with us.
"Have you seen the old man?'
The "old man" is Captain Ross, also
rom Vilsca. He is beyond 40. His
thinning hair is streaked with grey,
and his face shows lines of work and
study. He led another raiding party
that entered the German lines, not far
from where Casey and his men went
in. Ross had not been seen, but the
machine turned off at the next road,
winding and twisting through forest
and down a steep hill until it came
into another village.
81 just want to shake the old mans
hand" unused Casey. "He didn't have
to come over here, of course, but he's
a wonder"
Meeting Captain Ross.
Up a flight of rickety stairs and into
big bare room, and there was Capt
ain Ross. His grey eyes were tired.
He was sitting at an open window,
The warm rays of the afternoon sun
poured in. On the window sill was a