Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-09
RECRUITING TAKES RAPID
INCREASE At CAMP LEE
oh1ce Located Where Men Get Dis,
Charge Papers and Lectures
Are Given.
" MANY BENEFITS EXPLAINED
Advantages Are Pointed Out by
ofhcers-Story Is Told OF En-
per1ences OF Soldiers During
Fighting I'm France.

CAMP LEE. June S-With a great
number OF troops in Camp Lee since
since rehabilitation has started re-
cruitlnE has taken rapid rise. Since
the first Of June 100 men have re-
enlisted in the various branches of the
service The recruiting office is stu
ated In the same building in which tho
men are given their discharge papers
and n lecture Is given to all. in which
toe advantages of an army career are
set forth.
Every day there are stories told by
the men who have returned of the
benefits Of army training and how II
stood them In good stead during hard
50 that the men who arc returning
TO civilian life arc carrying mature
thoughts with them.
Tells of Fighting.
,. An ineident related by Captain
drcd and seventy irst Infantry. now
stationed at the Camp Lee recruiting
ofcc. Is given to bring out several
phases illustrating the Worth Of army
while advancing in the Champagne
southwest OF VOUCHERS. little incident
took place which illustrates the effect
or the soldier. The regiment had just
reached a point on an open meadow
;us, south OF small tributary 10 the
Riv.e,r Aisne. The region around this
ing boche, who stu hung on with their
utmost 'cnacity in the thicket lmmedi-
at"ly north Of the creek. where they
had numerous machine guns hidden In
the marshy underbrush.
III was extremely difficult to dis
,odSe them. for as yet no artillery
Added to this the mon were in open
country without shelter, except such
as was afforded by the peculiaritics
Of ne terrain. The men were con.
roads leading up 10 this point were In
full view OF the boche Observation
posts.
Critical Moments.
II, was critical condition: and il
order to reach ,enable position.
Platoon after platoon sp!ashcd through
the sWampJ region OF the creek and
siow,y. but surely. surrounded and cap
tured one machine gun-nest after an
other. Tho m.ncuvcrinc OF these small
units was extremely hazardous, as the
men were under the most discourage
shoulders IN muck and water. which
was continually rising All the while
they were facing whitening fire from
all directions except the rear, and tho
initiative OF the individual and the
Qulckness OF thought necessary 10
overcome the almost insurn,ountabl BILE
obstacles were true tests of the train
ing OF the individual.
throughout tho whole night, and in
inc early morning they held the ,hicket
Of Ardui and Hontfauxeiles
Many Men Wounded
Now the difficulty arose OF getting
telephon!c connection with all units
and the rear. The creek and flooded
area were continually shclled by the
Austrian SIS. and the American te,e-
phone men under this eXcept!onallv
Intense IRE carried apparatus, wire and
other material through the bombarded
swamp 10 the reg!mcntai headquarters,
connecting M all the battaions. az
we'll as stretching several lines 10 the
rear.
verc!y wounded while executing their
dangerous task. but nevertheless they
worked on until l!aison Was es;ab-
l!shed One man, Private Malley
into his side and stomach while nc
was carrying telephone. continued
over the open field and we'll into the
marsh, where he found man return
ing for more supplies. and turned his
apparatus over to him. with full di-
rections where to take it. before he
ful wound and lie down until ne was
taken TO the first aid station by
stretcher bearers This man was later
awarded the Distinguished Service
Medal
Instance OF Loyalty.
This is only typical istance of the
loyalty, determination and valor shown
by our troops. and | am confident that
the early training and army life. with
its high ideals and healthy compan-
ions, has been very largely responsible
in fostering that spirit of absolute de-
Probability so essential to the success
in battle and the worth while occu-
pations in civil life. only in the SER
vice can this spirit be developed be-
cause the army breeds in It's soldiers
unconsciously and each man has either
conscious or subconsCious conviction
that he must do his duty. not because
he fears punishment, but because of
his inherited high sense of honor and
unset ShncSS.