Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-04
RED KEYSTONE
A DISTINCTION
IContinued from First Page.l


son to the depressing effect The
people at home have played just as
noble a part as the boys in the front
line. The success of our arms was
made possible by the sacrifices of
our wives and mothers and the men
worth while who for several reasons
could not get overseas. Without the
selfdenial and cooperation at nome
we at the front could have accomp-
lished very little.
Letters n Boon
MANY times have seen boy get
n letter from home when dead tired,
worn out and hardly able to get
along After reading it, 1t seemed
that Il ray of sunshine passed over
him and he sprang to his task with
eagerness. He was no longer the
lone, tired soldier. He represented
II wife, a mother, father or sweet
heart Their good name must be pre-
served. He represented them and not
himself. The women of America
God bless them-did their part ana
nobly.
our regiment is just south OF
Metz and in the same position as
when the armistice was signed ,eN-
cept we have no outposts. We are
now engaged in training. The rumor
still prevails that we Will go TO Ger
many as part of the army or oceupa-
ton, All of the 2Sth Division mas
done splendid work. but we are
proud of our own regiment. In the
big American drive of September
20 up TO the 10th of October, we
were the only unit that did not in
the first fifteen days give way one
inch. In one place the Boche dead
numbered 425 within IL radius OF
$50 Yards. The regiment with the
aid of four machine guns cleaned
whole Boche division"
From another officer connected
with the 2Sth Division comes let
ter which is OF special interest to
Pennsylvanians. Speaking of the
work of the Marines and the Key
stone Division he says:
Il know all of the facts in connec-
ton with both organizations There
is this to be said of every soldier
that was on the front line, he mas
spent many vacation under more
pleasant circumstances elsewhere In
spite of the fact that France Is a
beautiful country. I'm naturally
handicapped in my praise OF the
2Sth, because | am Pennsylvania
hut when l read the editorial in Col
liers of September 81, felt Justihed
in referring TO them in no mean
stone which we now wear on the
upper part of the left arm, Is ctS-
tainly a mark of distinction, as the
following episode will illustrate.
"One of our soldiers happened TO
be in a large French city where he
oyerstayed his leave and was brought
before the general of that particu-
lar district for disciplinary action.
The general looked at him and said:
Young man, it's my duty to dlsclp-
line you in accordance with reGula-
tions. but inasmuch as l observe you
are wearing a red Keystone Ill dis
miss the case against YOU. You
should be proud to be Il member or
a division with such wonderful
lighting reputation
Referring further to the ll0th
! Regiment, the same writer says
Scarcely an Officer is now on duty
with this regiment who was with 1t
on the Marne, the Nesle or IN the
Argonne. most of them being casu-
alties, killed, wounded or missing
He tells the story of Harrisburg
officer, who was ordered to take an
important position and did so under
heavy shell fire. Owing to his pop
ularity with his men," he adds, he
had no difficulty in having them fol-
low him and gained his objective,
in spite of the fact that other units
found it impossible. Later on the
major finding it was to no advan-
tage informed the officer he would
arrange for Il barrage to protect nm
and his men in falling back to their
original position. But the officer sug-
gested that the major not do so as II
would invite a counter barrage from
the Boche and undoubtedly result
in some casualties. and inasmuch as
he had already lost quite number
of his good men, he asked permis-
sion to carry out a plan OF his own
which was to wait until darkness
and let his men crawl back one by
one, which they did without cas-
ualty.
Il lust want to tell you of very
interesting little episode that took
place the last day of the war.
g Promptly at II o'clock on the 18th
of November hostilities ceased and
hardly had the din quieted down
when Fritz came sneaking over to
our lines asking our men for white
bread and trading iron crosses for a
bag of Bull Durham / guess that's
teaching them to eat out Of your
hand, isn't ito"
Many Harrisburg soldiers are serv-
4 ing in France with the One Hundred
/ ana 1WelLln IeSlIlleht VI tAe MY :
stone division. Sergeant Philip I.
Meredith. of this city. now with the
Intelligence Section. has written to
Captain Henry NJ. Slime, giving list
of the towns which will indicate the
route taken by the Headquarters
Company or detachments thereof
from the time of the arrival of the
one Hundred and Twelfth in Liver
pool. May Il, until November %.
Towns printed in capital letter in
dicate encampments of the regiment
and the list is prepared 10 show the
military itinerary of the Harrisburg
boys.
Liverpool, Crews. Stafford, Rugby.
London. FOLKESTONE, Dover, En-
glish Channel-Strait of Dover CAL
al. France; st. Omer, Lumbres, Bay
onghem, SENLINGHEM, Fauquem-
bergue, AUDINTHUM, Wnndonne,