Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-30
Division Cjeed
For Bravery in
Action IN France

IN y icttet 70 uB tAtheS, Jonn y. Linh,
OF Vienna township. William l.. link,
OF b company, l04th engineers, A. E, H..
a graduate OF the Marshalltown high
school with the class OF 1917. who en-
listed In February. 1913. encloses n
copy of general orders In which the
Twenty -ninth division to which he was
attached In cited for gallantry In ac-
ton by Col. s. A. Cloman. chief OF
staff, at the order of Major General
Morton. In commencing the division
the commanding officer says:
Now that its part In the action
north OF verdun is finished. the divi-
sion commander wishes to take occa-
sion to express his deep appreciation
Of the skill. endurance and courage
shown by the officers and the men OF
tho division. including both stan and
line. in a most difficult and prolonged
fight
Everything was opposed to our cue
cess. We had most determined en-
envy In our front and one skilled by
four years OF warfare, whereas this was
the first real fight OF our division, on
most days the weather was bad and
the ground difficult, added to the fact
that the lighting was largely in woods.
On account Of the woods, ravines and
dampness gassing of our troops was
easily accomplished and full advantage
! Of this fact was taken by the enemy to
| whom the use OF gas was an old story.
without exception the organizations
! Of the division and their commanders
responded heroically to every call upon
them and at the end Of the fight We
had not only gained our detectives but
We held them and turned them over to
our SUCCESSORS
The order recites that the division
advanced some eight kilometers thru
enemy trenches and captured more
than 400 prisoners. seven cannon and
about 200 machine guns. Two hostile
| divisions were withdrawn from the
front on which the division was oper-
ating. one of the retiring divisions be-
ing made up of some Of the best troops
| in the German army.
Captured prisoners said the attach
| of the Twenty ninth was so rapid and
| it's fire so effective that they were over
whelmed and nothing to do but retire
| or surrender. This concludes the
| order. lis but repeating the praise that
has been bestowed upon the division
by both American and French superior
commanders"
Tells Of Aerial Activities.
Wayne Cumming. in a letter to his
| father, F. o. Cumming, $40 East State
street. dated Nov. "a, tells of aerial
activities on the French front in which
he participated. After describing his
voyage across the Atlantic and naming
the various camps at which he was
stationed during the training days on
the west front. he says. with reference
to actual participation in battle:
I'VE went on the front the last OF
April at Ouches not far from Toul,
this being a quiet sector. The pilots
got us to flying over the lines here and
meeting German planes. We left here
July and went to Coulomeeris about
forty miles west Of Paris. behind
Chateau Thierry. Here we helped stop
the Germans in July. When the Amer
leans drove the Germans back we went
up near Chateau Thierry. It was near
ly ruined at that time but the French
started to rebuild at once. When the
Germans got back as far as Fismes we
moved up on q German front near
Goussiement, not far from Quentin
Roosevelt's grave"
Later Cumming was moved to south
Of verdun, where his squadron par
ticipated in the Argonne-M euse drive.
At the time the letter was written he
was stationed due west Of Verdun
about fifteen kilometers. waiting for
orders to move on the Rhine.