The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-08-15
! ALMOST A. w. o. l.
Or the Major Who Forgot
by 1st Sgt. James Jones, Co. &C,
GRIND Inf, Red Hand Div.


DAYTON, Ohio, July 15, 1911,
was OH the morning Of Oct. 6, 1918, N
the battle Of the Champagne, wlen
two of Co. "G'sv weIl-known ! ser
geants were made prisoners OF wa
by the Huns, and were rescued bs
other members of the same company
Our lines had been very well thinnet
out by the terrible downpour Of chs
Austrian 88 MN. canrons, and .ht
Germans decided 10 counter attaci
and regain some of The ground tfls
DAYTON boys, along with the others
had made them give up, through sns
most desperate fighting Of the drive
Owing to the costly mistake Q
Capt. Swift (whitel who replace
Capt. Robinson, talso white), as 20
Commander, by not establishing tn
nroper communication with .he othe
units on his right and left flanks
together with his listening in
, foot dug out, we were surrounded q.
the enemy without possible chancf
for escape.
There was q heavy fog that hunf
over our position on The morning
Oct. 6. Our men had been wiped ou
SO East chat were enforced by wv
French battalions, one on our Tlgh
and one on our left. Our battalios
commander stayed so deep in his dug
out he did not know what was goini
on in front, and while doing so, III
French learned Of the Germans plai
to attack for the morning OF Octobe
e, and both moved back The distance
Of 700 meters, leaving the End Bn. .
the 372nd in The SOUP. This was ths
fault Of Capt. Swift, who sailed t
communicate with either Of these bat
talon commanders tFrench), which
he should have done.
| was out in an isolated shell-holt
when the mistake was noticed bat no
until day break did / discover W.
were not supported on either on
TlEUG DI IEIh.# <AIbGI 1tANIh
our first lines / reported back &
Capt. Swift chat We were solated ant
| was almost sure Of The enemy max
ing counter attack, which late
proved TO be 4 sact. Capt. Swift N
quired Of me, How did we become so
lated z and ! cold him of she absence
- ~ Lr,.e,,ot, l1n{4.l lfnrs ~, aai4a 10 r
and right. He threw up both hand
and replied, "Oh, ny God, have or
gotten to establish liaison with ,aithe
of those units. What can do 2"
1t was TOO late to worry over spill
milk then. We had to fight it on
and fight like h., which we did,
After seeing nothing could be don
TO prevent the coming over Of III
enemy, reported TO Capt Swift sha
/ was going back to my post, but h
never even came out Of his dugou
yet, but when / emerged from hi
quarters The fun had started. Th
Germans had come over. Privat
GOIAlA llillsy WIN NdG ali duloiiiatl "
gunner, had trouble with his auto
matte rifle and It became iammed %
him, which made things very unplear
ant for him. | met him on the va
to report The enemy had broke
through. After telling him [ had s'e
ported g Capt Swift he turned an
,4xNJ - i. 10 t.n4
kept up FOR hours, but The feav
fog made It very difficult ;'or the Ger
mans TO see where ehey we're and ais
for the Americans. 1t vas so diff
cult TO Sgts Elmer Neal and Corne
lius OldWine that they walked rigf
into The German patrol before The
realized where they we're. The Gei
man patrol took them prisoners IN
after Sgt. Neal asked the leader b
the patrol If re had any beer, Whic
the leader replied in plain Englisl
yes. Z Sgts. Kinnard, Stevenson
Corp. Cooper and others, learning .
their capture, came 20 their rescue
and just about The time that Sgt. Old
Wine began 20 picture sight-seein
trip in Berlin, The voice Of Sgt. Kir
nard took the German sergeant b
surprise and ne threw down his arm
and surrendered 10 The rescuers Thi
was the end Of Sgts. Neal and Old
wines vision of Berlin.
The patrol was taken prisoners an
after Sgts. Stevenson, Kinnard, Old
wine, Neal, Corp. Cooper, private
Lem Smith, Ellis and others had en-
joyed the good wine and other ~anc
drinks of The German patrol. Th
Germans were sorced back 10 .hei
former position md The French bat
talions again took ap their ..ormer 30
sition, and all was we'll during sh
rest of the day.
~ This mistake, dear reader, was chi
Ii one Of the thousands that we're :aad
by our officers (Wlite), Who replace
well-trained colored officers, VII