Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-01-23
LIEUT.. WORRELL SAYS
L. S. TROOPS DID NOT
KNOW RETREAT TACTICS

L. S. TROOPS DID NOT
KNOW RETREAT TACTICS
| The retreat of the German army, II
a whole was wonderful and withoa
confusion" remarked Lieut., ORLANDO
Worrell, "and we American officer;
were surprised, for we had no1
thought of it before, but re had not
beer taught any tactics to follow Il
retreat. That made the German re.
treats all the more wonderful to Us
1t was apparent to us that we were
never expected to retreat and the his
tory Of the war shows the United
States army did not.''
A number of the many friends cf
First Lieut.. Orlando Worrell, the
first Mexico boy wounded overseas to
return home, gave dinner Wednes-
day evening at the Hotel Hoxsey in
his honor. He entertainingly told OF
his experiences overseas. The follow
ing are a few of the incidents he re-
lated:
Lieut.. Worreil feels than any len
iency shown the Germans at this time
would be great mistake. That if
they succeed in securing better peaee
terms than they were promised when
the armistice was signed they will be
ready to fight again in a few years.
That regardless of how many times
their supreme command was changed
they never for a minute wavered IN
their allegiance. That they quit
rather than were defeated and that #
we are to have to fight them again he
prefers to do the job now and have 1t
over with for all time. Lieut.. Wor-
rell could not pay high enough tri-
butte to the American dOughboy and
said Germany saw the handwriting on
the wall as written by the American
troops so she quit,
-
In direct refutation of the German
claims that they did not use dum-dum
and explosive bullets Lieut.. WorreI
says that he was wounded in the hand
by a dum-dum bullet and brought
home several explosive bullets taken
from hun prisoners.
While visiting in Nancy, France,
the city was raided one night by Ger
man air forces and hotel. within a
block Of where he was staying was
blown to pieces. The Germans in this |
raid made three direct hits. The hotel |
spoken of was completely demolished |
~ one air bomb.
Lieut.. Worrell was returning to have
lis wounded hand dressed when ne |
net Sid Houston, son of Mr. and Mrs.
A. S. Houston, of this city, a former
Jity Editor of the Ledger. Sid was |
ammunition to his machine |
run company. They had only short |!
ak before they parted and as Sid
lad to go over the top of hill in plain
light of the enemy he never expected |
o see him again. "If anyone ever rad
membership in suicide club, SID
lad one," said Worrell. He was DE-
ighted to know Sid was fwell and un-
INJURED.
He saw Anderson Gibbs, son of Mr..
nd Mrs. Renfro Gibbs, of this city,
ust as he was leaving the trenches.
iibbs was entering them. They met
t an intersection of the trenches and
alked for a few seconds before they
eparated. The first he knew that
iibbs was we'll and alive was when he
cached home.
Lieut.. Worrell did not know that
eneral Pershing had made him first
lieutenant for bravery in action until
e arrived home and heard thee news
rom his parents. When he came cut
the battle of the Argonne Forest
e and another man in his company
ere TIE only ones alive. His exJe~-
nee in escaping from the German
mes, wounded and fearing every
oment that he might be taken pris-
1er, were the most narrowing he had
lring his service on the Western
ont. He stated he would preferred
} have been killed than to have been
ken prisoner by the hun.
When asked about spies he sad
lat they were under the direct atten-
on of the Intelligence department Of
lie army and that he knew nothing
'out them. There must have been
any of them along the front but he
I'd no personal experiences with then.
Entering a German dugout shortly
ter he had gone to the front Liegt.
orrel said he saw a motto written
board and hung oyer the en-
ance. He took it to a sergeant N
$ company who spoke German and
ked him to translate it. The motto
as eve Will Dance With The Widow
Paris" He said nothing up to that
ne had stirred his resentment to-
ard the hun as did this threat of the
erman to dance with the widow of
e men they had killed. 1t showed
c hun spirit in the true light.
On two occasions he fought assisted
+ tanks. They were wonderful ma