The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-08-21
K. c. SECRETARY RE:
TURNS FROM france
Napoleon La Fleur Who Won Fame
for His Good Work With Soldier
Boys is Greeted by Many
r. Friends

day from France where he spent ten
months as Knights Of Columbus
secretary. He is receiving hearty
welcome from his many friends in
Minot, who appreciate fully the splen-
did service he gave to the soldier boys.
When Mr.. lie Fleur enlisted for K.
C. service, he realized that he was
not going to France to participate in
a dress parade and he dug in with
SO much vim that within a short time
he was made chief secretary of his
division, the 81st, a record Of which
his friends feel proud. Every morn
ing he was up at six o'clock working
with his secretaries trying to bring
cheer and comfort to the lads who
were so far from home. Altho he
had any number of chances to eat
at an officers mess, he refused them
all and dined with the soldier boys.
He refused to wear his X. G. cap
which resembled an officers cap, be-
cause he didn't want to do any camou-
faging, and did not want the soldiers
to be saluting him. He refused to let
another secretary ride with him in his
Ford if he wore one of the caps. He
even tore the service stripes off his
coat sleeves.
Mr.. La Fleur is of French descent
but he saw only as much Of the
French people as was necessary to
carry out his work. He refused their
invitations to dine with them. He
went to France to assist the soldiers
and not to fraternize with the French
people.
Mr.. La Fleur was in charge of the
transportation at RHEIMS from last
June until the time he departed for
home. It was the duty Of the X. C.
secretaries to take charge of the SOL
diers who visited RHEIMS and vicinity
on sight seeing tours. In this way
he had an opportunity to see great
deal of the battle front. He says
that the German prisoners are rapidly
removing the marks of war from the
battle front, tho the French people
have set aside certain districts in the
war torn territory that will be kept
as it is for sight seers
Mr.. La Fleur spent considerable
time looking up information concern.
ing the burial places Of the soldiers
and he took pains particularly to look
up the grave of Henry Finn. whose
InOAlVl 1Co1uCS az y OttcSls 4AAs y Al1Al
was well known in Minot, having at
tended the Minot Normal and he was
also a member Of the Minot Council
Knights Of Columbus, of which Mr..
La Fleur himself is member. Henry
was killed on July %, a year ago, in
the Chateau Thierry fight. Mr.. La
Fleur visited the very spot where the
young man met his death. Henry
was a member of the medical corps
and his Captain had been wounded out
on the field. Henry volunteered to
go out after his Captain and he never
came back. The fight took place at
what is known as the La Fraquette
farm and hundreds of our boys fell
that day. The Germans were locat-
ed in some woods and moved our men
down as they appeared in the open
field. Mr.. LIE Fleur brot back a pic
ture of Henry's grave in the National
cemetery. The government has plac-
ed all the bodies ofthe American dead
in number of large national ceme-
teries, each grave being plainly mark
ed. Mr.: La F1eur spent several days
looking for the grave and says there
are any number of graves marked
"UnknoWn".