The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-09-10
DON WILKES, WITH
FIRST "OVER THERE, "
IS BACK IN ARDMORE

IS BACK IN ARDMO RE
Don Wilkes, son Of Mrs. Effie Wilkes,
has returned home after 2S months in
the service "A months and II days of
which time he served overseas.
Mr.. Wilkes was one of the first Ard
more boys to enlist in the service and
is among the last to return
He enlisted May "a. 1917, going to Fort
Logan, Colorado. From there he was
sent to Fort Bliss, tl Paso, Texas,
where he remained only one and a
half months, sailing from New York,
July %, with Battery G, 5th Field
Artillery, First ARTILLERY Brigade Of
the First Division in which he re
manned throughout his entire service.
The history of the First Division,
which was the first American contiu-
gent to sail overseas, has been told
many times and will continue to be
told in the ages to come, and will al
ways be heard with the ever growing
amount of interest, for each soldier
gives his account from different cX-
perience, each passing lightly over the
hardships, laughing in remembrance
of times that We're serious enough at
the time Of happening, and contining
himself, more or less. to bare facts,
with here and there a bit of personal
history, all of which blends together
and tells the story of the wonderful
spirit Of the American soldier, truly the
idol of the world.
And 50 it is with the story herein
related.
Il wouldn't have missed it for
worlds. / wouldn't take a million dol.
lars for what | have seen and expert
enced, and | wouldn't take a hundred
million to 20 through with it again,
Mr.. Wilkes said.
The Soldiers Story
After month and Il half Of train
ing at Naldehom which is only l3
kilomcters from the Swiss border, the
First Division went into tine front
lines oct -, 1917 ON the LuncWlle sec
tor eve were of course in training
with the French army
1T was ON the Lunevlle sector that
the first three Americans, Gresham,
Enright and Hayes were killed. These
boys were in the 10th Infantry, of the
First Division. / did not know them
personally. but / attended their funer.
ais.
we were in this sector II days and
from there went into winter quarters
near Gondrccourt remaining there un-
I'll Jan. -, 1918. OF course We were
in little skirmishes now and then,
but nothing really big.
From Gundrccourt we entered the
sector known as the sector northwest
of Toul, really the Ansanyile sector.
We remained there until April 9. This
was the first sector held independent
ly by the American forces.
From Toul we loaded on trains,
for the Picardy front, this was really
the Montdider NOyau defensive. We
stayed here from May TO July I. Dur
ing this time, it was on May IS, we
captured Cantigny, the first town cap
tured by American forces. by captur-
ing Cantgny we brought to stop the
big German offensive, when they were
making a drive to the coast to cut oil
the English. The town was captured
by the 2Sth Infantry, which now has
on its colors two CroiX de Guerres with
Palms.
Many things happened during this
period. May to July Z. OF course the
most important being the capture Of
Cantigny. but it was ON July / the
First Edison mustard gas was fired.
There were 4S shots to each gun on
the front-iust as salute from is
great states,-Aly, those were great
days. we would send over just about
five times as many shots aS the enemy,
and the division was cited many times
by the commanding general. ON July
4. we also held the first horse show
in the A. E. f., this was held at Far .
tigny.
"On the 7th we were relieved by the !
French, and started back to rest |
camp preparing as we went, to par |
ade in Paris, July 16. En- route we
received orders TO return to the front /
and turning back we hiied lO2 ltilo- |
meters in As hours. This took US about |
10 kilometers from scissors. We went |
in between scissors and Chateau |
Thierry.
This battle was known as the Sec !
ond Battle of the Marne, in the Aisne- |
Nlarne offensive. We went in Juy Is, |
and were relieved July 2G 10y the 10Th |
Scottish Division Much has been said !
about the Belleau Wood and Chateau
Thierry, but there We're hundreds OF .
Belleau Woods in the Argonne Forest,
but there was long interval between |
these two affairs, and that can come
later.
From our location we again loaded /
in trains for Toul, going in ON the
Saizere sector just north of Toul, to
get replacement, etc.
Along about Sept. we were relieved |
by the goth Division |, of course knew
that the goth was made up of Okla
homa and Texas men, and they were
located only four kilometers from US,
but they We're i'm the trenches, and !
dared not 90 out of my own outfit be
cause there were so many German
spies. The officers were picking up |
every man, out Of his own organiza-
tions and you had to do some explain
ing besides getting separated from
your comrades. So | had to pass up
that opportunity. Later. however, l
saw Ardmore boys who We're in Com
paany f., Nth Engineers, while we
were all in the Argonne
I'VE started south of Gondrecourt |
for another rest area, and were again