Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-05-06
The Army in Germany.

The Journal is in receipt of an Interesting
letter from Kenneth Goudy, an American
soldier now in Germany, directing attention
to the fact that the Army of Occupation is
largely made up of units that were engaged
in some of the hardest fighting of the war.
From the reports that we fellows in the
Army of Occupation get from the neWspa-
pers" he writes, 1--WE have formed the op1n-
ion that the people in the States are unoer
the impression that the American Army OF
Occupation is composed Of units that did not
participate to any great extent in the world
war. and that these fellows are glad of the
opportunity Of entering Germany to retail
late for the fighting they did not have the
chance to do. Nothing could be further
from the truth. All of the units In the
Army of Occupation are veteran organizations
with very creditable histories"
He then goes on to show that the Army
of Occupation was made up originally OF the
First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Twenty
third, Forty-second, Eighty-ntnth and Nine
tieth divisions, and that all of these were
engaged in some of the hardest fighting on
the western front.
It will be recalled that the First Division
as it's name implies, was the first to land in
France 1t was made up mainly of soldiers
of the Regular" army and was in meas
ure veteran organization before 1t lett the
States It showed it's mettle and lighting
ability in the Battle of Cantigny, where
American
western front. Almost Immediately follow
ing the suspicious cleanup" with which the
First Division signalized its arrival went the
Second Division with orders to hold Whlle
and fall back at Chateau-Thierry AS all
the world knows, they fagrantly disobeyed
orders by holding a while and then advanc-
ing The repulse they administered to the
crack Prussian Guards in that engagement
proved the beginning of the end. Many ex-
perienced military writer's have declared tnat
the German army never recovered from the
terrible shock of the news that the Pruss1an
Guards had been stopped and beaten and
driven back by comparatively small torce
of American recruits who had never been
under fire.
In the subsequent unfolding Of Foch's cam
paign those other units mentioned above
the Third, Fourth Fifth, Thirty-second, For
ty-second, Eighty-ninth and Ninet1eth Dlvl-
sions-were used almost necessarily by the
great French commander in his lightning Sc
ries of sledge-hammer blows that crumDled
the German line Of resistance and brought
the war to a successful termination at least
year ahead of schedule.
They fought on the Marine, at st. Mihlel,
then at Verdun, and on toward Sedan IN that
relentless advance which closed the two ave-
nues of German retirement and hnally
brought the Kaiser's forces to the very verge
of complete development and capture.
And then at last, when the fighting was
over, these same divisions which had fought
so hard and suffered heavy losses were Sc
lected for the honor of composing the Sev-
enth Army Corps to occupy the west bank
of the Rhine. There they are now, writes
Private Goudy, ''doing squads right in the
same old way with the same old spirit;
obeying orders not to fraternize with Ger
man civilians, despite their dizziness of mil
itary routine and the craving for social re-
taxation; longing for home and wondering
when the diplomats in Paris will finish the
Job and allow them to leave.
When these men return they, will wear on
| their sleeves more gold service stripes for
| overseas duty than any others, and they send
an appeal to the people at home not to be
| FORGOTTEN.