Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-09-04
Our Doughboys Mean Business
When They Take the First
Line Trenches.
Their EFFICIENCY EVIDENT
Veterans Before They Enter the
Trenches, by First-Rate Military
Training If Not by Experience
Every Man in Line Has
Personal Grudoe to
Settle With Huns.

With the American Troops in Alsace-
Lorraine-By the dim light Of the
moon you could barely see the stream
of doughboys pouring out of the shell
tering woods and scraplng over the
dusty French road toward the trenches.
They said very little and trudged along
with that measured swinging tread
which enables Europes veterans TO
carry their heavy packs almost un-
heard-of distances.
The stream seemed unending, as the
United Press staff car picked its way
from squad to squad without using
nSk%S. without falling in bitches and
without touching single dOughhoy.
Finally one section of the human
stream halted In a ruined village The
press car stopped. too. for beyond this
point everything except ammunition
and food goes on foot.
The officers gave the order To- rest
and a lot of packs dropped TO the
ground, followed by doughboys. Their
rifles they never dropped. In the moon
light you could see the ground covered
with resting soldiers, mostly string.
There was clicking Of rifles and
sounds of tightening packs. and bits of
gossip which could come c1ly from a
group heading for it's first night In the
Trenches.
Indifferent to Danger.
These were Uncle Sans citizen sol
Oilers, new men just over from "the
states" as they have habit of calling
home when over here few ques-
tons revealed the fact that year ngo
these boys ware clerks, carpenters
students and whatnot in civilian
clothes. Six months ago they were in
n training camp. Now they were sol
d'ers in France. and tonight they were
making their genuine debut into the
war for civilization.
There was no wild enthusiasm nor
any evidence of fear or even appre-
henS'cn among those citizel-so'dIers
as they rested before making the last
laD into the trenches. There was a
Tr.er-Uf-fact sort of confiden.e prev
aleHr. and every man was making the
mo; Of the breathing spell 20 eea th.t
he was 100 per cent ready for balIle
Interest and talk centered around the
clicking rifles and other equipment
This old guns sure going 10 do
some work from now on" said one
doughboy TO his psi. as he played with
the rifle fondly. It's the best gun in
this army"
Say. You never shot this gun" re-
piled the other. Nobody ever did. and
nobody viii but me. It's some Boche-
getter Il was made for me specially,
Bo"
Officers went through the crowd. Civ
Ing Il final warning about use of gas
masks. and attention conferred around
MASKS for moment. A lot ~ chaps
tried them on again. Then packs again
were adjusted, and the group OF dough-
boys streamed slowly on.
Ready for Business.
As they got nearer the front trenches
the word was passed to walk moro
quietly. Conversation excep: in I'M
dertones stopped. and they descended
into trenches, All you heard was the
steady knock of hobnailed shoes on
the trench duekboards, as these Jew
arrivals were quietly initiated to the
trenches 10 France. Quietly and with
out commotion the officers stationed
their men, with lookouts watching
across moonlit No Mans Land the
former occupants of the trenches left.
and the relief was completed.
There is something about the fear
less quiet way these new dougbhoys
take the trenches that makes you
feel they know lot about warfare.
They are veterans before they enter
the trenches. by first-rate military
training If not experience. Their dis
ciplne is fine. and their efficiency tells
Won they are ready for business
meaning whipping Germans.
'Well, you can tell Kaiser Bin we're
here to fight" said one doughhoy. as
he look his station "Hear the Ger
mans say we're just :: crowd Of I'M
trained boys. Wen soon show them
were soldiers"
u happens this doughboy's platoon
did II very soon The next night $50