Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-06
TELLS HOW THE BOYS
WERE MOVED ABOUT.
Private Douglas Phillips Saw
Lot Of The Real Fighting
In France And Belgium.

Private Douglas Philips of Co. 4,
5l6 M. G. Bn. A. P. 0. 776, A. E. f.,
tells of his travels since leaving Camp
Lewis in a letter to his father, Simeon
Philips. as follows:
"We left Camp Lewis on June 81 and
arrived at Camp Merrett, N. j., July 3.
July 2 we left Hoboken on Ii. M. :,
Dano and arrived in Halifax, N. s.. on
July 10 and left on July IL and ar.
ri'ed in Havre, France. July 2l. and
left that port on July 27 via railroad
for Louineres and arried July 29.
On Sept. 6 we left that place anG
arrived in Bonnet Sept. and left Sent.
IL ana arrived in our positions of re-
serves behind st. Mihiel Sept l3. ard
lett Sept. 10 for Senymenttes, via truck
which arried vat that time.
We arrived in Jubecourt Sept. 81 sn9
left Sept. 20 via trucks and arrived in
a wood near Auhreille on Sept. "a. This
position was lear the trenches in rhe
Aronne region. Sept. 27 our doughboys
went ocer the top and we followed with
machine guns and ammunition and ar.
rived the very same night. After stay
ing in that place two nights we went
up to Epronville aid left Oct. 3 when
we were relieveu and went back to
Cheppy woods.
:" Left Cheppy wood Oct. 6, arrived
in Domasle via trucks the next morning
Left Oct 10 and arrived via trucks ia
Varney Oct. 10 and left Oct. IL ia rail
road for Belgium where we arrived Oct.
Is. We left this place Oct 90 and ar
rived the same day via trucks at Ostel-
astia. Oct. 25 we left and arrived via
trucks at Roulers and left there OCT.
49, On Oct. 30 we were in pine wood
back of Audenaarde, which was being
attacked by our diision.
"We were relieved Nov. and left
by truck for Oyghem where we stayed
until the 8th and then moved into All
Adenaarde Nov. IL which is one the
scheldt river directly west of Brussels.
son the Argonne forests we were
right up where the artillery was and
the barrage they put over is said to be
one of the heaviest of the war. Tne
sky was full Of smoke. Our dough
boys went over the top early in the
morning and we moved up in trucks to
where the front line had been and start.
ed across what had been No Man $ land
we looked over some of the worst
shelled ground we had seen outside of
Ypres. Then we got in Very where we
were shelled heavily. During our en-
tire stay there we were shelled. After
two days we proceeded to Epinville and
dug in,
"During our stay we were shelled and
bombarded by planes Also under ma
chine gun fire from planes. We went
into q position to avert counter at !
tack but the counter attack was weak
an was stopped by our doughboys. We
were not in action during our stay on
this front or later.
"But on account of divisions on our
right and left not keeping up with our
division, W. we're subject to flank
shelling which vas certainly not agree
able. Our doushboys and machine gun
outfits that went IN performed so cred
itablv that -i.r corps commander con
graduated tho whole division on its
good work in he initial fight.
''Our doughboys are certainly there
The lost lots f men but they simply
couldn't be stopped and would havs
gone further l,1t for the flank attacks
We were fretty tiIed when we were re.
lieved and finally got back to Varney.
After sting wnlie we were surprised
to be ensrained for par,l unknown but
we suspected our dest1natron TO be Bel
pium.
" when we were relieved we heard
rracG six strongly I'D we're going n
,gain Nov. IL wheh rhe armistice news
reached u.s. 1t Was certainly good news
| We seen lots Of German prisoners.
Tney were certainly IN i'll fed looking
bunch.