The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-09
U. s. MARINES WON
FIRST RANK In WAR
Continued from Fret Po0e.

2,345 enlisted men wounded seriously
enough to be officially reported by
cablegram, to which number should be
added not few whose wounds did not
incapacitate them for further fighting.
However. with a casualty list that
numbers nearly half the original 5000
men who entered battle, the Official
reports account for only 81 United
States Marines who have been cap
tured by the enemy. This includes
those who were wounded far in ad-
vance OF their lines and who fell into
the hands Of Germans while unable to
| resist.
Won Place of Glory.
Memorial Day shall henceforth
have a greater, deeper significance
for America, for 1t was on that day.
May 80, 1918, that our country really
received its first call to battle-the
battle in which American troops had
the honor of stopping the German
| drive on Paris, throwing back the
Prussian hordes in attack after attack
and beginning the retreat which lasted
until Imperial Germany was beaten to
Its knees and Its smissaries appealing
for an armistice under the flag Of
truce. And to the United States Ma
rines, fighting side by side with equally
brave and courageous men in the
American Army, to that faithful sea
and land force OF the navy fell the
honor Of taking over the lines where
the blow Of the Prussian would strike
the hardest the line that was nearest
Paris and where, should a breach &C.
cur. all would be lost.
The world knows to-day that the
United States Marines held that line
that they blocked the advance that
was rolling on toward Paris at rate Of
six or seven miles a day; that they
met the attack in American fashion
and with American heroism; that ma
rtnes and soldiers Of the American
Army threw back the crack guard d.
visions OF Germany, broke their ad-
vance, and then, attacking, drove
| them back in the beginning OF a re-
treat that was not to end until the
cease firing signal sounded for the
end of the worlds greatest war.
What stone Thinks of Marines.
IN this connection Melville E. Stone,
general manager of the Associated
Press, said, following an exhaustive
trip Of investigation In Europe:
They Cthe Marines) had before
them the best Prussian Guards and
shock troops-the Germans were
perfectly sure they could drive the
amateurs" back
1t was a dramatic situation, for
success meant that the Germans
could probably push for Calais and
other Channel ports; but Foch dan
gled Paris before their eyes by put
ting raw Americans at a point
across the direct road to Paris, In
the pocket between Rheims and
scissors. Instead Of driving back
the Amateurs the amateurs"
drove them and gave them also a
very sound thrashing. Their losses
were heavy. but they did the work,
and in doing 1t also did three things:
They saved Paris: they seriously in
jured the morale OF the best German
troops; and they set a standard and
fixed a reputation for American
troops that none other dared to tar
nish.
Such Is the opinion OF the head OF
a great news gathering force regard
ing the achievements of the United
States Marines at Chateau Thierry,
where in the battlefield OF Bots de
Belleau. now named the Bots de la
Brigade de Marine by official order
of the French Staff. this branch OF
blocked their drive on Paris.
Front on Memorial Day.
1T was on the evening of May 80
after a day dedicated to the memory
of their comrades who had fallen in
the training days and in the Verdun
sector, that the Fifth and Sixth regi-
ments and the Sixth Machine Gun
Battalion, United States Marines, each
received the following orders:
Advance information official re-
eeived that this regiment will move
at 10 p. NJ. 80 May by bus to new
area All trains shall be loaded at
once and arrangements\ fastened
Wagons, when loaded, will move to
Serans to form train
fevered activity among the Marines
Then, the next morning. the long
trains of camions. buses and trucks,
each carrying its full complement Of
United States Marines. went forward
on road which at one place wound
within less than ten miles of Paris,
toward MeauX and the fighting line.
Through the town of Meaux went
the long line Of camions and to the
village OF Montriel-aux- Lions, less
than four miles from the rapidly ad-
vancing German line. On this trip
the camions containing the Americans
were the only Traffic travelling in
the direction Of the Germans; every
things else was going the other way
refugees, old men and women. small
children, riding on every conceivable
conveyance, many trudging along the
side OF the road driving a cow or a
calf before them, all OF them covered
with the white dust which the canton
caravan was whirling up as it rolled
along; along that road only one or
ganization was advancing, the United
States Marines.
Got Into Line on juno 2.
AT last, their destination reached
early on the morning Of June 2, they
disembarked, stiff and tired after a
journey of more than seventy-two
miles. but as they formed their lines and
marched onward in the direction of
the line they were to hold they were
determined and cheerful That a,,.