The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-02-06
65TH HOME FROM
SERVICE IN FRANCE

Some of the pride of Oregon men,
who make up large part of the 65th
Coast Artillery and many of whom are
Hood River boys, are now in barracks
at Camp Dix, one of the largest and
best of the eastern camps. 1t is likely
that within few days these men will
be near their homes.
1t is probable that the 65th will not
be sent back as regiment. but by
smaller units to the camps nearest
their homes. In that case the com
panies containing Oregon men will, it
is thought, be sent to Camp Lewis for
rehabilitation.
Camp Dix has never seen a better
looking bunch, says dispatch from
the east, than these rugged youngsters
who came out of the west and fought
on at least five sectors of the western
front They figured in the reduction
Of the st. Mihie salient on September
IL. They did notable work in the Ar
gonne- Meuse drive, which began Sep
tember g. and they were commended
for their splendid fighting under
French command near old Fort Douau-
mont, on the east bank of the Meuse
October s. They attacked with the
French on Boise de Tray October %,
and their fighting in the last ArgOnne
Meuse drive of November Ia in itself
is sufficient to mark them as super
men. That is what their commander,
Col Benz. H. Kerfoot, thinks of them.
He said: "Of those Oregon men,
who are in the 65th Artillery, cannot
say enough in praise. They are super
men. mean it in every sense of the
word. They are wonderful. There are
no men in any branch who are better.
There are no more wonderful men in
the world. y
And men in the regiment related
how the Colonel had told an incident to
prove his point. That was when the
huge 9.2-nch howitzers, which shoot
shells weighing 293 pounds, were
mired down and had to be gotten to
the front. Twenty-four Of these guns
with ammunition were 26 kilometers
behind the front. The roads were be-
lieved to be impossible. Col. kerfoot,
stern disciplinarian that he is, said
that for once he could not command
men to do the impossible. He turned
away The men began to labor and
the guns began to move. The men
slaved to draw the guns nearer the
front, and when four days and three
nights had passed the guns all were in
action at Boise de Forges.
"Only supermen could have done
that, and they are these Oregon men, "
Col. kerfoot said.
The 65th arrived in Philadelphia
| Thursday. 1t was the first troopshlp
to return soldiers at that port. The
welcome to the returning troops there
was such a one as never before has
been recorded in this county. A of
Philadelphia turned out.
It is the custom to take the returning
troops to camp Immediately on land
ing. The 65th was no exception.
There are processes of sanitation to be
gone through before they will be given
any leave of absence, but in the mean
time they are comfortably located at
Camp Dix.
Are they bringing back French
wives? mot on your life, they re-
1.-THE old girl in Oregon will look
mighty good to me, chimed one pri
vate. The rest echoed him. ''The
French girls are all right we are glad
we met them, they say, but they are
unanimous that they don't size up witt
the Pacific coast girls. Perhaps thi:
is because the girls at home have beer
remarkably good to them. There were
five tons Of mail awaiting the regimen