Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-07-14
MAD|SON'S HEROES !
ARE COMING HOME
Lieut.. Edward rCay Only Eocsl
Boy To See Hun Prison Fron
Inside, Is Back VI iiST:' !;

Lieut.. Edward Gray, the only
soldier from Madison who saw the
inside Of Hun prison, has return
ed home, and is with his sister, Hrs.
w. G. Soper, and other relatives md
friends in this county. Lieut.. Gray
has been mustered out Of service.
Although wounded at the time be
was captured by the Huns at
Chateau -ThierTy, he has completely
recovered and is in fine health! Lieut..
Gray says that after he and the
other Yank soldiers who were captur-
ed reached the German prison
camp they were not subjected 70 any
indignities, but, before that their
treatment was rough. Lieut.. Gray's
letters to his sisters, here, describ-
ing his prison life both while he was
confined and afterwards when the
German censorship had been remov-
ed, were printed in the Daily Regis
ter, and were read with much inter
est at the time. He is being given q
cordial welcome back home.
Several others of Madison's SONS
who particularly distinguished them
selves in their service for Uncle Sam
have been slipping in home one by
one, in quiet way, and oftentimes
their coming has hardly been noticed.
For instance, John Stoller Best, who
recently came home, had the distinc-
tion of having served In the army
longer than any other Madison boy.
He was member Of the marines
which held the Marne in the famous
drive last summer, when the Huns
met their first great check. Young
Best has been member Of the
marine corps since April 1915 long
before the United States got into the
war. He served in Haiti, where he
engaged in the fighting against the
rebels, and was wounded in the head
slightly. In December 1916 he was
liz Philadelphia and after that was in
charge of the German prisoners from
the inSerned German warships. Until
June 1917 he was stationed at Pensa-
cola, Florida, helping lorganize an
anti-air craft school, and then was
sent to Quaatico, Va, and prepared
for overseas service. He went ovcf
with his regiment on the CrownA
Prince, and arrived at Nazarie,
France June 26th where the marines
were under the instruction and train
ing of the French lesluey devils for
three months. In March 1918, at the
time of the first great Hun offensive,
they went into the line at< Verdun,
to relieve French det$chmenGZ and
were in the trenches II days. After
that he saw % days OF solid fight
ing in Belleau Woods. lie was sqorch-
ed by gas and sent to q, hospital, and
after that fought the Huns akain at
Scissors, and in the fifstt major
American offensive at st. Mihiel.
After that he fought in the Chan-
pagne region and was there whelt
the armistice was signed. he, went
over into German with the army of
occupation, and has just come back
home, covered with service. stripes,
and honors. 8,
Owen Yates, was another Hadikon
boy, who saw the bitteres| Sc 81
fighting and was wounded IA,
got home without ostentat :, q
vertisement. Young YaS FT&a
through the hardest fighting Of o.
war in France, and was twice reV
ported as severely wounded. He
pulled thru however, much to the de-
light of his many friends and fami- 7
lies, and is back safe at home again,
bearing his honors modestly and com
mended on all sides for the gallant
part that he played in winning the
war.