The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-26
18th MEN PRAISED
BY GEN. ALEXANDER
"a Cracking Good Division"
It's Fighting Commander
Terms It.
FRANKLY PROUD OF 1T
Told Wilson at Christmas How
He Gloried in Command
ing Them.

! Major-Gen. Robert Alexander, com.
mander Of the Seventy-seventh Division.
reached nis headquarters in the Hotel
Fillmore soon after he had landed from
the Mount Vernon yesterday morning.
About the first thing he did was to pay
hne tribute to the soldiery qualities
ana the fighting abilities OF the men
who under his command defeated the
best troops of the German army.
when I get to talking about this d.
vision" he said, II never know when to
stop. I'm not saying, of course. that
these soldiers won the war all by them
selves. but they were never called upon
to do thing that they couldn't do and
| that they didn't do-and they've had
some mighty hard things to do. The
Seventy-seventh ID very close to me. IL
is composed of fine soldiers. and II Ia a
cracking good division. Don't forget
1 that"
Gen. Alexander commanded the New
York troops during the last part Of the
fighting on the Vesle River, when tn ,
Scventy-seventh held one OF the most
difficult pieces of terrain any division
has been called upon to hold he took
them through the Germans in the ad-
vance from the Vesle to the Aisne Canal
and then on to the Aisne River. and he
was their leader when the division
plunged into the heart Of the Argonne
Forest-and in that operation. charac-
terized by competent observers as the
greatest battle American troops have
ever fought, the Seventy-seventh was
the only division to 80 entirely Through
the forest.
shows Omcial Commendation.
II wasn't particularly difficult TO see
that Gen. Alexander was very proud
Of the troops under his command. He
was very willing TO talk about them
and he was decidedly eager to point out
and show the many approving official
documents relating to the division which
he had received from his superior off,
,ers. He had a great box with him
that once held shells for a German
gun, and this box was damned with
reports from the military Inspection au-
thorLxes and others, which had been
ent to him. On one occasion the In
spector-GeneraI OF the A. E. r. wrote
to the Seventy-seventh's commander:
your work shows what can be done.
and II is the consensus Of opinion of
III the inspecting officers that this In
spection was by far the best and most
satisfactory that we have made"
in speaking OF his troops Gen. Alex.
ander said:
ION Christmas eve I was fortunate
enough to be able to tell the President
something Of the pride which I have in
the seventy-seventh. told him that
had the greatest pride In being as
ISOLATED as a so der with the men COM
posing this division. that in its ranks
maj NJ al hA 49,
make up the vast population of New
York. and that II he could have seen
their conduct at the front his heart
would have swelled with pride.
And to that | can add now that
the division gave tho hnal and greatest
demonstration of its so'dierly qualities
not under the. stress Of combat but
during the tedious months that came
after the armistice. The walt to come
home was trying alike on officers and
men. yet they played the game through
like good soldiers and good citizens right
up to the last minute. Their conduct
both in action and after the arrnistice
earned and received the appreciation OF
all the authorities who had an oppor-
tunity to observe them In the Seventy
seventh Division New York city has an
organization OF which 1t ought to be
extremely proud.
Men in Good Condition.
The division Is coming back to It's
homes, bringing with It a record OF SER
vice we'll performed. Some OF the SOL
diers now rest beneath the soil OF
France. To the families OF those who
have made 20 great sacrifice I extend
every possible sympathy. They will
have the consolation of knowing that