The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-08-23
ALBUQUERQUE BOY
IS TOURING WAR
RUINS IN FRANCE


-
Otis Wood. son OF Attorney T.. r..
Wood. is taking n personally conduct
ed tour OF the battle fields and de-
yasta,ed VILLAGES Of France ard writes
Interestingly OF his experiences over
seas. Young Mr.. Wood graduated
from West Point military academy IN
June and sailed for Fmnce July ~
with his class for a graduate course in
military instruction In the arena Of
the world war.
secs ReaIts OF war.
a letter from young Wood dated
July % reads ~ followa:
In the lhst two days We hnv seer.
considerable Of the actual results Of
the war IN the combatant line. Yes
serday morning vs. arrived AZ our first
hattie fieid.-Chnteau Thlerry. The
town u situated on the Marine with
buildings on both sidrs Of the river.
The Germans were approaching from
she north when Foch ordered the 81
division Of our troops. which wns still
IN training az q point sixty kiiometers
south. up 10 the line. The eth N. @.
Ism. (~motorized) was the first OUTFIT to
arrive az Chateau Thierry. and while
they were looking for the French q.
q. 10 report they foana that the Ger
mans were In possession Of the half
OF town north Of the Marine. Their
g q. at once ordered n 10
protect each bridge. and after "A tsr-
rific struggle they Succeeded In hold
ing them. However. the French got
umid n blew up one Of the bridges.
leaving an American platoon on the
wrong side. This gave n young lieu .
tenant Of West Point rs his chance
10 win a u. 8. g. by leading his pla-
toon down 10 the other bridge and ex-
posing himself to the fire Of both
sides until he should be recognized by
ANu 50 - aa.I uIlI.r.l a. ... -
bridge. The Germans held the nortl,
side Of the own until late In July
when pressure from further up the
sector forced them to ~evacnate the
whole sector.
After a tour OF the battle fields Of
Scissor and Beieuu Wood ard over
the Chemin in des Danes along
which the French have been nehtInt
since 1914. the class arrived n,
Iheims.
Visits Rheims.
Rheims" writes Wood, ''wns n
town OF i20.o0O before the war. hut
when the commission investigated n
10 determine the damage they found
only fourteen houses untouched b.
sheil-fire. The cathedral Ia pretty well
shot M. hut the walls are stili stand
ms, which 10 more than can be said
for most OF n houses around H."
a. Paris the boys were put into
automobile trucks and taken 70 view
the city. There was n visit 10 the res
idence OF commandments Perish
ing, where the famous general gave
the boys a little speech Of welcome
and SHOOK handa with each ~ them.
Prom there" he continues. we
were taken 90 I'Ecole p~Olytecnique.
the West Point Of France. where the
engineers and artillery Officers Of tho
French army are trained. A great
HauH.Aa L-.NE- 49, go
Two schools Lafayette IN 1915 acted
ns n messenger 10 exchange greetings
and sifta between the two. This feel
INK has hecn kept up constantly right
up to the present by c0rrespOndcnce
between the two corps OF cadets. and
now for the first time In history o.
class from one has visited the Other
ON Parade Grounda
When we marched into their ma
inde ground the student ofncers IAN
cirascf entering for 1914 until tho end
60 the be- were all drawn up to re-
ceive uH. There were some seven
hundred Of them left, ranging In rank
from second lieutenant 10 major. nny
o. them WemherH of tho Legion o.
Honor and practically every one wear.
inF the croix De fuerre. One mnn
iud nF many as sixteen palms ana
three stars on his. each representing
n citation. We exchanged zaiutes. the
hand played the national anthems OF
mr. two countries. the commanding
general decorated three more men
with the Legion OF Honor ana then
We were dismissed"
Al Versailles Wood visited the old
OF Louis XIV where the peace
conference vas held. lie stood on the
spot where In 1870 Wilhelm was
the first emperor OF Ger
and then moved ten feet 20 the
pot where Wilhelm II was officially
brown down.
That night NJ midnight he con
'ludcH we LEFT Paris and today have
travelling over tn ~. Mihiel sec
OF which the Americans ironed out
y iHenty-fOur hourB after the Ger
pans had he'd u for -four yesrs."