Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-03-04
LIT. NORMAN is BACK AFTER
YEAR IN FRANCE
Saw Much Action With Four Divisions
"WOuldn't Give $1,000 For Ny
Experiences" He Says

81 wouldn't give $4,000 for my ex
periences in the United State army in
France" said Lieut.. Wade II. Norman,
first lieutenant, to Pilot reporter on
his return to Wausau, after a years
absence during which he participated
in some of the liveliest scraps on the
western front, but neither would l
give a nickel to go through it all
again." Lieut. Norman left Wausau
December 26, 1917, shortly after he
had been commissioned at Fort Sher-
idan. Going to New York he immedi-
ately boarded ship for France. He
was discharged at Camp Lee, Va, and
returned to Wausau Saturday, STOP
ping en- route at Richmond, Va,
Washington, d. c., Chicago and Mil
waukee.
Attends Infantry Specialists School
Lieut.. Norman, arriving in France,
after stop in England, attended an
Army Infantry Specialists school at
Longres. On April 15 1918, he was
assigned to the 18th Division, which
boasts of the famous lost battalion"
the 30Sth, and with this fought in
Flanders and at Arras. Later he was
transferred to the 2Sth Division and
the both Division, finally placed in the
And, the Rainbow division, of which
Wisconsin is rightfully so proud
During this period Lieut.. Charles Gill
bert, son of Mr.. and Mrs. G. S. Gill
bert of this city was nearby and Lieut.
Norman saw him frequently. During
part of the latter period, Lieut.. Nor
tot fhot hic rnoinonnt &c
brigaded with British forces and that
gas" now and then.
st. Mihiel Fight a Hot One
"The 1st Battalion, 167th Infantry,
to which l was assigned in the St.
Mihiel fight, was an assaulting organ
ization," he says. "We attacked the
morning of Sept 18th. Everything
was with us; we had tanks, artillery,
airplanes-the plans were carried out
perfectly. We had marched for nine
nights to reach our position as the at
tack was supposed to be a surprise.
The trenches were very shallow. Our
artillery preparation started at a. M,
lasting until 5, when the barrage
started and we went over the
top. The non-commissioned officers
whipped the platoon into shape. AT
| four o'clock they started coming to me,
| asking what time is it, lieutenant
And | would answer. That is the
way it continued until the last mo-
| ment, when all uttered Thank God
That day the men advanced seven
miles, coming within the range of the
Metz guns. Those guns must have
been powerful for the shell holes were
immense. 1t was the hottest fire that
could have been experienced"
Laugh When Shells Didn't Explode
OF his So men who went into the
fight, Lieut.. Norman estimates that 3S
| went with him two weeks later to the
Argonne-Meuse battle. AS the big
shells were heard coming, he tells, the
men would listen and when it proved
to be "dud," or shell which does not
| explode, there could be heard a wild
hysterical and derisive laugh from the
men. The shells were called G. l. cans
galvanized iron cans.) "All told, the
| advance made in four days at ST
| Mihiel was eleven miles. The Metz
guns doomed and evidently the Ger
lIiduS SApCCISu Tic dlll6u lOTCeS u
come closer. However, the objective
| had been gained
"At this time we expected a rest
| We were relieved from duty for one
| day, remaining, however, under fire
| Then all of our division was loaded
into trucks and rushed with all pos
| sible haste to the scene of the Ar
| gonne-Meuse battle, raging intensely.
! 1t was in this fight that the lieuten
| ant wounded his ankle and he thinks
| drank water from a shell hole which
had been affected by poisoned gas
Though we were not supposed t
drink this, it could not be helped" h
said, ''for water was not obtainabl
and thirst had to be quenched. Man,
of the men of the division did like
wise and have since suffered the con
sequences"
Praises Oversee Organizations
The lieutenant tells his story inter
estingly, but is reticent in speaking O
his experiences. He was sent to hos
pitfalls in Rimaucourt, Pongues, lie
Faux, and to a center at Mesves, later
Soon he was ordered to Bordeaux
from which port he left for the Unitet
States on the "Pochahontas," formerl
the German steamer, Princess Irene.
A sOutherly route was followed b,
way of the AZOre Islands, to Newpor