The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-03-13

vicinity of Bourmont and went in with
the French for a six-week training
period in the trenches on the heights
OF the Meuse southeast of Verdun.
After that it was sent to a division
sector of its own in the region Of Les
! Eparges, where it held the line about
! two months,
When the Germans started their
victory" drive in March, it will be
remembered, General Persh hing offered
General Foch anything the Americans
had in France that could be of use in
stopping the enemy. The 1st Divis-
ion was taken from the Toul sector
and sent to the Montdidier region. The
Ind was taken out Of the line for a
snort period of intensive training and
then taken to the Somme region.
The 1st Division had taken Cantig-
ny and the End was about to go into
the line when the Germans changed
our plans by driving southwark from
the Chemin DIES Danes and reaching
Chateau-Thierry in the early days Of
June. The End Division was put into
camions and rushed into the battle
here, where the Germans threatened
Paris as they had not threatened the
French capital before since the dark
days Of the fall of 1914.
In Belleau Woods Battle.
Just west of Chateau hierry on
June l, the End was thrown into the
line across the Paris-Metz highway,
where the Germans were nearest
Paris. There in Belleau Wood the 9Th
and 9th Marines won undying fame
when they stopped the Boche rush
On the first day they had no artillery
because the guns had not been able
to get up. They had no food except
emergency rations, and their ammu-
milton was not all it might have been.
But they stopped the Germans at the
Bots Belleau and fought eleven days
against repeated German attacks TO
drive them back.
On the last day of May the 3rd d.
vision machine gunners, rushing into
-Thierry after sixty hour
trip in canions, stopped the Germans
there The End Division held the bar
rier against the German advance all
through June, and on the last day of
that month the 9th and 23rd Infantry
won glory by capturing Vaux and
gaining with the marines line which
| SlCdGlv UStlS1eu dlllGu prospectus.
The End was then taken out for a
well-earned rest. Nothing was heard
of it until the morning of July IS,
when Marshal Foch electrified the
world by his brilliant blow at the
Chateau-Thierry salient, which his
tory will record as the turning point
in the war. The most important blow,
indeed the vital blow, in this offensive
was hit just south of Scissors and by
the 1st and End divisions, with the
famed French Moroccan Division be-
tween them. It was an advance Of
eight kilomerers on the first day by
this trio of divisions which made pos
sible the eventual reduction Of the sal
lent menacing Paris.
Suffered Heavy Losses.
The End Division had suffered very
heavy casualties and had to have many
requirements to retain it's power. It
was withdrawn from the battle area
and took up the task of training its
thousands of raw requirements
When General Pershing started his
drive on Nov l which took the Am
orleans in a great sweep to Sedan,
the End Division was in the line in
front of St. Georges and Landres-et-
St. Georges against position which
had the Americans at standstill for
two weeks. 1t broke through for 9
kilometers the first day, and, leading
| all other divisions, was responsible for
the German communicates first state
ment during the war that the line had
been broken. As advance became a
general pursuit the End Division kept
up its pace and in seven days gained
forty kilometers.
| Such is brief sketch of the per-
Torrance of the End Division, which
helped save Paris, helped reduce the
| St. Mihiel salient, helped reduce
Rheims, and helped reach Sedan,
| Some think it is the best division in
any army in France.
/ County Auditor Kennard has re-
ceived from the agricultural college
a long list of farmers and grain deal
o,.s of 4bo cfa4o u,ho have nbo;oo .ool