The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-02-02

to the Armoreite, giving bit OF
history OF Company X, which is
largely made up OF Ardmore and
Carter county boys:
Co. *" 357th Infantry,
A. f. F, Junkerath, Germany,
January 3, 1910.
To the People OF Ardmore and Ok
lahoma
AS an officer OF Company K. 557th
Infantry, composed chiefly OF men
from Armore and of other Okla
homa cities. | take this means to
acquaint the people of the above
state with the history OF Company
4 X, OF its gallant action on the field
oi battle, of the wonderful record
4 it has made for itself in a fighting
diviSion--and chiefly to inform the
mothers OF these boys who fell in
action, OF the manner in which their
sons met a soldiers death.
| would that it were in my power
to write the parents OF every man
in this company, especially those
who have lost their sons, and tell
them OF the record OF that son in
the army, OF their soldierly and man
" qualities, OF the esteem in which
they were held by the officers, and
lastly OF the supreme sacrifice that
some OF them made when they gave
up their lives in defense Of a cause
that was right and triumphant.
IconSidcr myself peculiarly fitted to
A"rite this letter. in that have been
IN officer in Company K since it
was first formed, back in Septem-
ber 1917. Have served with it. been
in command OF it, and went into ac-
ton with it during all these long
months.
! will long remember that day in
September when the first members
OF Company X came trooping into
Camp Travis, rough, disordcrly.
fresh from civilian life, wild-eyed at
the prospect OF army lie. Then later.
when these same men were drilled
and instructed as to their duties as
a soldier, taught the requirements
Of the army. disciplined on every
hand, until from the mob OF civil
'ans, they emerged into a compact
company OF neat intelligent soldiers,
4 credit to their regiment and to
,hc state OF Oklahoma. In those
days, under the able leadership Of
Capt Fred T. Lester, Company X
was the smartest, and snappicst out
tit in the 357th Infantry, on the drill
field and parade.
Sailed on June 20.
Then came the day when every
one knew that soon the division was
to sail for France. The company
was filled to war strength with men
from Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois,
who proved able soldiers as the able
OEahomans OF the company had
, already proven. On the 10Th Of
/ Iune. Company X sailed from an
= Atlantic port bound for thee field
OF battle and the Great Adventure.
We landed in France, and from
July 9th to the middle OF August
this company was in training in a
quiet French village, drilling, march
ing and shooting in preparation for
the ordeal TO come--the facing of
the Boche. In that quiet month
Company X became earnest and ef-
Iicent, crack riilemen. hard march
trS, supreme in the bayonet, withal 4
company oi 24-karat soldiers, sure
OF themselves and their muscles; {;
without boasting, | believe that
when * went into the firing line
in August there was no body Of
$50 men in all the armies OF the
world that were their equal, and
could withstand their assault. And
aSSWcdly the Boche could not stand
before them as later events showed.
Ou~ iirs, experiences in the
trenches were quiet and uneventful
no Mans Land was our own.
Our patrols venmred over all parts
OF the stretch that laid between us
and the enemy, even up to the first
line wires OF the Boche. Then came
St. NIihiel.
Go In At St. Mihiel
On the morning OF September
l2th, Company X went over the top
under the command OF Lieut., De
Grummond of Temple, Texas. Moth
ing withstood them. BY night fall
they had smashed their way through
seven klometerS OF bullets, barbed
wire and Boche putting seven ma
Whine gun nests out OF action, cap
turing some 80 prisoners and killing
and putting the fear OF God and
Company X into the hearts of many
more OF the enemy. In fact, Com
pany X went ahead so fast and
ioyously that dusk found them
ahead OF every one in the division,
and that night was spent in the midst
OF the enemy, one kilometer ahead
OF all support. Now as to the casu-
alties: Oklahoma did not suffer as
heavily as did the northern boys,
bu, her casualties were enough,
The very first killed WAS Sergt.
Samuel w. Webb, who was Instant
" killed by machine gun bullets just
as his platoon was rushing the nest.
He was one OF our oldest sergeants
in the point of service. A soldier