Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-12

New York. Dec. 11-Welcomed
home as heroic sons Of the nation
774o more soldiers, sailors, marines
and aviators representing virtually
every state in the Union. entered fog
bound New York harbor today on
five large transports from European
ports. The tales these men told ab:ut
one another were variations Of Amer
lean high courage on French battle
fields, on the open seas and IN the
air above France and England. Hun
dreds OF the men, manned for life by
wounds received in some Of the
wars heaviest fighting. were hur-'
ried to hospitals and the others went
to camps. where they will be demob-
ilzed.
Some had left America as scarce
ly more than boys-but they came
back as men. either wounded or
sound. The wounded included soldiers
who had walked with crutches when
their ships sailed from Europe and
who, made eXultant by their home
coming tossed their props aside and.
declared themselves "cured" as Il by
the miracle Of their return. Here was
a man with 4 jaw shot away-and
happy 10 his expectation of rejoin-
ing his wife and children. There was
a man with both feet gone. amputat-
ed by surgeons after the bones mad
been splintered by German shells in
the bloody Argonne forest, but glad,
he said that he had served country
and flag regardless of the cost 10
himself. Other men had met with a
different misfortune, these were uu-
able to discern the torch which the
statue Of Liberty held high above the
busy harbor and moving transports.
And there were others who could not
hear the port whistles and the air
raid siren which Shrieked their well
coming demonstrations.
Many of these men had eaten their
Tha nksgiving dinners on shipbolrd
and were glad they were home in
time to have their Christmas dinners
in their homes. All who returned to-
day were not in military or naval
service as actual fighters. There
were Y w. c. A. girls, who had SUI
fcred from gas poisoning; Y. NJ. L.
A. workers who had strengthened SOL
diers' morale while under fire, and
chaplains who had risked their lives
and aided American contingen-s III
destroying German machine gun
nests.
These stories by the thousand were
told by troops who themselves had sur
vived the wars dangers and spoke mod
estly of that fact Illustrative of YAM
kee hercism was the account given OF
Capt. c. +. GlaZebrook of Washington,
d. G.. member of the 12Sth Field Artil-
lery. Shot in the lung, gassed, wounded
in the leg. removed to hospital. Cap
tain GlaZebrook, arrivals said. stole
away from his cot. assembled uni
form. attached a captains bars, climbed
a window, rode sc hours on an
q rny truck without letting his COM
panions know OF his condition and en-
tered action in the American advance on
the st. Mihiel salient. Four DAYS later
once more gassed. lie was back in the
same hospital. Asked about this Incl
dent. Captain Clazebrook said: THE
chief surgeon gave me hell. II you
don't die he said and you probably
will, you will b ecourtmartiaied. But
outside the door he laughter and I
knew il was all right
Beside the crosses of war which many
Of the returned soldiers wore were gifts
from the French government. Little in
cidents of dougttoy grit and sacrifice
which parallel the incredible and the
telling Of which would fill pages OF
newspapers. Some of the soldiers and
marines described their mistrust for the
Germans who cried 'itamerad" and who
were killed in their tracks after treach-
erous activities. Sailors spun yarns OF
battles with subma rines Aviators ex-
planned how they tempered their disap-
pointment at not reaching France by
bringing down enemy airpianes during
the raids on England
Trophies Of war cam. home On the
transports. the Adratic and 4 scanius
British) and the Tenadores. Kroonland
md Calamares (American) and the hos.
oital ship Mercy. There were German
helmets, German machine guns and Ger
nan belts with the unfuIfIled Colt mi.
ms caption. These their captors dis.
Mayed with pride second only to th,.
'hicn they displayed In telling Of brave
'cts performed by particular comradss.I